(MENAFN) Typhoon Podul battered southern Taiwan on Wednesday after making landfall in Taitung County in the island’s southeast, unleashing fierce winds and heavy rains that severely disrupted daily activities and halted transportation services, media reported.

The storm forced the suspension of rail and ferry services throughout the affected areas and led authorities to evacuate over 5,500 residents as a precaution.

Nearly 250 international flights slated for arrival or departure were canceled in anticipation of the typhoon’s impact.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) confirmed Podul made landfall around 1 p.m. (0500 GMT), advancing west-northwest at about 29 kilometers per hour (18 mph). The typhoon carries maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h (96 mph), with gusts reaching 191 km/h (119 mph).

CWA forecaster Liu Yu-chi said the storm’s radius had already engulfed the counties of Taitung, Hualien, and Nantou, warning that conditions would worsen in Taitung, Hualien, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung, with wind and rain expected to intensify on Thursday.

As Podul moves toward southern China, flood control authorities in Guangdong and Fujian provinces have elevated their alert levels, media reported, signaling heightened concern for the region’s safety.

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