Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall in the east of Taiwan on Thursday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds.

Cities and counties of Taiwan have declared the day off, canceled flights and closed off financial markets ahead of what it expects will be the strongest storm in 30 years.  

At least 27 people were injured, trees have been knocked down and four mudslides recorded even as the typhoon made its approach, the National Fire Agency said. It did not provide more details. 

Biggest typhoon in decades

The fast-moving typhoon made landfall on the sparsely populated east coast at 1:40 pm (0540 GMT, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Strong winds and downpours are likely to affect nearly all of Taiwan. 

"With the typhoon approaching, we should beware of the strong winds near the center," Chu Mei-lin from the CWA said in a briefing ahead of the typhoon's arrival. "Its impact on the entire Taiwan will be quite severe."

Once a super typhoon, Kong-rey weakened overnight but retained the strength of a Category 4 hurricane with winds of over 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour), according to storm tracking website Tropical Storm Risk.

Taiwan’s weather forecaster said it will be the biggest typhoon in size to hit the island since 1996. It called Kong-rey a "strong typhoon" which is the most powerful storm level in Taiwan.

Rainfall of up to 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) is expected in eastern Taiwan. 

Preparations for Typhoon Kong-rey

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry has put 36,000 troops on standby to help with rescue efforts. 

Some 1,300 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas, the government said. Meanwhile, the National Fire Agency said evacuations in eight counties had begun on Wednesday night with over 6,200 people moved by the evening.

Nearly 300 international flights stand canceled, as per Taiwan’s transport ministry, along with all domestic flights and 139 ferry services to and from surrounding islands.

Taiwan's high-speed railway is still operating, albeit with a much-reduced service.

Typhoons are common around this time of the year in Taiwan.

In early October, Typhoon Krathon killed four people and injured over a hundred. In July, Typhoon Gaemi killed at least 10 people, injured hundreds and triggered widespread flooding in the southern seaport of Kaohsiung.

mk/wd (AFP, Reuters)