4,000 evacuated as typhoon bringing heavy rain heads toward Taiwan

A typhoon bringing strong winds and torrential rainfall slowly advanced Wednesday toward Taiwan, where thousands of people have been evacuated from vulnerable low-lying or mountainous terrain.

At least 93 centimeters (3 feet) of rain has fallen in the coastal Taitung County in the past four days and 29 centimeters (11.4 inches) in the major port city of Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon.

The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the center of 173 kph (108 mph) and gusts of 209 kph (130 mph), is expected to make landfall early Thursday on Taiwan's densely populated west coast, according to the island's Central Weather Administration.

Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan's west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island.

Authorities shut schools and government offices across the island and canceled all domestic flights.

In the eastern Hualien County, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from townships vulnerable to landslides. Almost 200 people in the ...