Typhoon Sinlaku lashed Taiwan on Saturday with powerful winds and heavy rains across the island that disrupted flights and train services as well as celebrations for a major holiday.
Most rail services and domestic flights were cancelled as the typhoon packing winds of up to to 173 kilometres (107 miles) per hour hurtled towards the eastern coast of the island, authorities said.
Schools across the island were shut down for the weekend as a precaution and thousands of fishing boats were also sheltering in ports.
Organisers have cancelled or postponed outdoor celebrations in Taipei and several other cities for the weekend's Mid-Autumn Festival.
"Sinlaku is expected to be nearest early on Sunday but its impact is likely to last till Monday as it is moving very slowly," a Central Weather Bureau forecaster said.
At 8:30 am (0030 GMT) on Saturday, Sinlaku was 120 kilometres (74 miles) east of Hualien on the east coast, moving at seven kilometres per hour.
The bureau has warned residents across the island, particularly those in coastal and mountain regions, to take precautions against flooding and mudslides as the typhoon is likely to generate rainfall of up to 1,300 millimetres (50 inches).
Two tropical storms pounded the island in July, leaving at least 22 people dead and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to agriculture.
{{/usCountry}}Two tropical storms pounded the island in July, leaving at least 22 people dead and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to agriculture.
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