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.

The mid-strength typhoon was heading for the south-eastern city of Taitung. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – After more than 1 million households lost power during Typhoon Danas, the government was considering burying more power cables underground to protect electricity distribution from natural disasters, reports said Saturday.

Typhoon Podul blew through southern Taiwan packing winds of up to 191 kph and leaving one person missing, as a large swathe of the island shut down and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

Typhoon Podul wreaks havoc in Taiwan as dramatic footage captures a Boeing 747 slamming onto the runway amid ferocious crosswinds and pounding rain. In the skies above, a Boeing 777 battles violent turbulence and lightning strikes,

Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today.

The Central Weather Administration has issued sea warnings for Typhoon Podul as it is expected to hit Taiwan from the east.

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said it will issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday as Tropical Cyclone Podul edges closer to the city. The Hong Kong Observatory said that the weather would be hot over Guangdong on Tuesday,