More than 2.7 thousand residents of Taiwan were evacuated due to Typhoon Kraton.

Twenty-three people were injured and more than 2,700 residents were evacuated in Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan due to the approaching Typhoon Kraton, the island’s Central News Agency reported on Wednesday. 

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Meteorologists forecast Typhoon Kraton will reach Taiwan’s southern coast on Thursday morning, having already caused disruptions to transport and other services across the island.

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On Wednesday, classes in educational institutions were canceled throughout Taiwan, offices were transferred to remote work, local delivery services suspended services in some cities, and bicycle and moped rental services were temporarily closed in Taipei. At the same time, shopping centers continue to operate.

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As of 09:00 Wednesday, the epicenter of the typhoon was 160 kilometers southwest of the city of Kaohsiung in the south of the island and was moving northeast at a speed of 7-10 kilometers per hour. The radius of the storm at that time was 220 kilometers, the maximum wind speed reached 173 kilometers per hour, and gusts reached 209 kilometers per hour.