Tropical Storm Kong-rey will continue to rapidly intensify over the Philippine Sea before making landfall in Taiwan (China).
The storm is likely to reach or approach super typhoon strength as it approaches Batanes, Philippines.
The storm is moving west-northwest at 10 km/h and was last observed 505 km east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Philippines. It has maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h with gusts of up to 185 km/h.
PAGASA does not rule out the possibility of the typhoon making landfall in Batanes on October 31. The storm is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by the evening of October 31 or early morning of November 1.
Typhoon Kong-rey has the Philippine name Leon. Typhoon Kong-rey is named after a girl in a Khmer legend passed down from Cambodia.
Even before it made landfall, the typhoon had stranded at least 224 passengers, truck drivers and cargo handlers at 11 ports in the Philippines’ Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions. The tropical storm had sustained winds of 130 km/h and gusts of 160 km/h, affecting shipping.
Typhoon Kong-rey threatens the Philippines mainland as Typhoon Trami (local name Kristine) wreaks havoc in the country. Typhoon Trami has affected the lives of more than 7 million people in the island nation, leaving at least 125 dead, according to the latest report from the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The NDRRMC said 111 reported deaths are still being confirmed. In addition, 115 people were injured and 28 people are missing due to the storm's impact.
The China Weather Administration (CWA) is also monitoring Kong-rey. The CWA measured Kong-rey's maximum sustained winds at 162km/h, with gusts of 198km/h in its bulletin at 8pm on October 29. The storm is likely to make landfall on the island in the next 48 to 60 hours.
Several train, ferry and event routes in eastern Taiwan (China) have been cancelled or postponed to avoid the typhoon.
Ferries from Donggang and Yanpu pier to Xiaoliuqiu in the southernmost county of Pingtung are scheduled to be canceled from October 31 to November 1 due to the typhoon.
Residents and tourists in the above areas are advised to regularly monitor weather forecasts, comply with recommendations from authorities and update announcements from airlines, trains, travel companies... to be proactive about their schedules and ensure safety.
