A strong and shallow earthquake registered by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) as M6.4 hit southern Taiwan at 16:17 UTC on January 20, 2025 (00:17 LT, January 21). The agency is reporting a depth of 9.7 km (6 miles). The USGS is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), EMSC M6.0 at a depth of 6 km (3.7 miles).
Taiwan has recorded 42 earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale in 2024, marking the highest count since precision seismic monitoring began in 1991 with the implementation of the Taiwan Strong Motion Instrumentation Program. The surge in seismic activity has been largely attributed to the April 3 Hualien earthquake, a powerful magnitude 7.4 event that struck 15 km (9.3 miles) south of Hualien City, causing extensive damage, 18 fatalities, and over 1 100 injuries.
Typhoon “Kong Rey” made landfall at the coast of Taiwan’s Taitung county at around 05:00 UTC on Thursday, October 31, unleashing destructive winds and heavy rainfall that claimed one life and knocked power out for over half a million homes in the regions and forced eveacuations of over 8 000 people. Around 500 flights have been canceled and schools and markets have been shut down due to the storm’s impact.
Typhoon “Kong-rey” is rapidly intensifying as it moves west-northwest toward Taiwan. The current forecast track calls for landfall on Taiwan’s southeastern coast within the next 48 – 60 hours. However, a shift westward could also lead to a direct landfall on Batanes, Philippines. Kong-rey is forecast to significantly strengthen and potentially reach super typhoon status as it approaches Taiwan.
A video released by Earth Uncut TV captures the calm yet eerie conditions within the eye of Typhoon “Krathon” as it passed over Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan on October 3, 2024.
Typhoon “Krathon” made landfall in Kaohsiung’s Xiaogang district of southern Taiwan at 12:40 LT (04:40 UTC) on October 3, 2024, with maximum sustained winds of 126 km/h (78 mph). The slow-moving storm, affecting the island for five days, dumped torrential rains, with mountainous parts receiving up to 1 676 mm (66 inches) of rain. At least 2 people have been killed.
Typhoon “Krathon” reached super typhoon strength on September 30, 2024, after leaving at least 2 people dead in the Philippines. The system is expected to slightly weaken before its center approaches Taiwan on October 2 and 3. Krathon will be the first landfalling typhoon in southwestern Taiwan since 1988, bringing strong winds and heavy rain, with up to 1 000 m (39 inches) in mountainous regions.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit near the east coast of Taiwan at 23:35 UTC on August 15, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 14 km (22.5 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Typhoon “Gaemi” — known as Carina in the Philippines — made landfall in Taiwan’s east coast near Hualien City on July 24, 2024, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph) and gusts to 250 km/h (155 mph). This storm is considered one of the strongest to impact Taiwan in recent years. Gaemi is the fourth named storm and the second typhoon of the 2024 West Pacific typhoon season.
The Wandan mud volcano in southern Taiwan erupted for the ninth time in two years on July 6, 2024.
