Typhoon Megi kills four in Taiwan

A typhoon hit Taiwan on Tuesday, the third to strike the country this month, killing at least four people and injuring hundreds of others.

Authorities estimated that more than two million households lost power, while over 45,000 were without water.

Schools and offices were shut down and the north-south bullet train suspended its services as Typhoon Megi roared in from the Pacific Ocean at over 160 kph (100 mph).

The government's Central Emergency Operation Centre said that at least 167 people have been injured and more than 11,500 have been evacuated in response to the danger.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said it had ordered authorities across a large swathe of southern and eastern China to step up disaster prevention preparations.

Taiwan's financial markets closed due to the storm.

Hundreds of international flights have been cancelled.

The typhoon was moving across Taiwan and was expected to head into the Taiwan Strait and on towards China on Wednesday where it will make landfall in the southeastern province of Fujian.

Earlier in the month, super Typhoon Meranti killed at least 28 people in China and Taiwan and cut power to more than a million homes.
Typhoons are common in the region at this time of year, picking up strength as they cross warm Pacific waters and bringing fierce wind and rain when they reach land.