Taiwan evacuates thousands as tropical storm approaches

Taiwan evacuated more than 3,000 people from vulnerable areas and closed schools and offices on Tuesday ahead of the arrival of tropical storm Fung-wong, which killed at least 25 people and displaced more than 1.4 million in the Philippines.

- 

Fung-wong was earlier classified as a typhoon but is losing intensity as it approaches Taiwan, where it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday afternoon or evening near the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung.

On Tuesday morning, the storm had maximum sustained winds of up to 108 kph and gusts of 137 kph and is expected to sweep across the island and exit from its northeastern side on Wednesday evening or early on Thursday, Taiwan's weather agency said.

More than 3,300 people from four counties and cities have been evacuated near the eastern township of Guangfu, where flooding from a typhoon in September caused a barrier lake to overflow, killing 18 people.

Schools and offices were closed on Tuesday in Hualien and Yilan counties, while weather authorities issued a land warning covering south and southwestern areas including Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Tainan and Taitung.

China activated an emergency typhoon response for its southeastern provinces of Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang and Hainan.