A large swathe of southern and eastern Taiwan shut down on Wednesday and hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the arrival later in the day of Typhoon Podul, with thousands of people evacuated.

Thousands of people sheltered and fishermen secured their boats across storm-battered southern Taiwan on Wednesday as Typhoon Podul intensified on its approach to the island. The typhoon is packing wind speeds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour at its centre and “is strengthening”,

Typhoon Podul is forecast to bring torrential rain to Hualien, Taitung, and southern Taiwan on Wednesday, according to the Central Weather Administration. The typhoon is expected to make landfall in Taitung around noon,