Typhoon Podul hit Taiwan's sparsely populated southeast coast on Wednesday packing winds of up to 191 kph (118 mph), as a large swathe of southern and eastern parts of the island shut down and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

Typhoon Podul struck Taiwan's southeast coast with winds up to 191 kph, prompting shutdowns across affected regions and over 5,500 evacuations. As over 380 flights were grounded, the government braced for further impacts,

Thousands of people sheltered and fishermen secured their boats across storm-battered southern Taiwan on Wednesday as Typhoon Podul intensified on its approach to the island. More than 5,500 people have been evacuated from their homes ahead of Podul,