TAIPEI (AFP) - Typhoon Sepat was set Friday to slam into the island of Taiwan packing winds of over 180 kilometers (125 miles) per hour.
The Central Weather Bureau warned the island off the southeast coast of China would be pummeled by strong winds and torrential rains when the typhoon made landfall on Friday evening.
With a radius of 250 kilometres (155 miles), the centre of Sepat was 390 kilometres southeast of the southern city of Taitung at 09:15 am (0115 GMT), the bureau said.
As the typhoon neared, some domestic flights were cancelled while offices and schools in the eastern county of Hualien were ordered to shut.
The bureau urged residents across the island to take precautions and to avoid activities near the sea. Those in mountainous regions were told to watch out for mudslides.
Nearly 4,000 Chinese fishermen were seeking shelter in Taiwanese harbours, said the National Fire Agency which coordinates rescue efforts.