As Typhoon Kong-rey approached Taiwan on Wednesday, meteorologist Noah Bergren highlighted the remarkable size of its eye, calling it “one of the largest eyes in a major tropical system you will ever see on Earth.” At its peak, Kong-rey was a super typhoon with sustained winds of 150 mph, comparable to a Category 4 hurricane, although it has since weakened slightly to 130 mph.
Despite its massive eye, AccuWeather’s Alan Reppert clarified that eye size doesn’t directly indicate storm strength, but rather that the winds are distributed farther from the storm’s center. Spaghetti models suggest the storm will make landfall on Taiwan’s southeast coast, bringing up to 140 mph gusts, heavy rains, and potential mudslides. After crossing Taiwan, it’s expected to turn northeast, moving toward the East China Sea.
AccuWeather warned of “significant structural damage” as Kong-rey could bring nearly 3 feet of rainfall to Taiwan. Heavy rain is also anticipated in eastern China and Japan.
