Taiwan shuts down for Typhoon Maria

Schools and offices in Taiwan will close today and flights have been cancelled as Typhoon Maria churns towards Taiwan bringing torrential rains and powerful winds.

Maria was 500 kilometres east of the northeastern coastal town of Yilan with gusts of up to 190 kilometres an hour as of 10 am local time (0200 GMT), the weather bureau said.

Its impact was expected to be the strongest from late Tuesday to early Wednesday, with downpours up to 500 millimetres (19.7 inches) forecast in some areas, the bureau added.

Officials have warned of possible floods and mudslides.

Taiwanese authorities announced that offices and schools would close on