Typhoon Podul forces evacuations in Taiwan

Nearly 2,000 people in Taiwan will be evacuated from their homes on Tuesday as Typhoon Podul approaches the island, with storm-hit central and southern regions likely to be pounded again, authorities said.

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The typhoon is expected to make landfall along the lightly-populated southeast coast on Wednesday before sweeping across the island and into the Taiwan Strait, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.

Average wind speeds at the centre of the storm could reach up to 133 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 165kph, the agency said.

Around 31,000 soldiers were ready to assist in typhoon preparations as well as rescue and relief efforts, the defence ministry said.

Local carriers Uni Air and Mandarin Airlines said they have cancelled all domestic flights for Wednesday.