photo source: AFP
Friday morning, Typhoon Soudelor made landfall near the city of Hualien in Taiwan, battering the area with heavy rain and powerful winds. So far, at least four have died, and the typhoon is continuing to move west across the island.
The storm has reached winds over 142 mph, and two million homes have lost electricity.
Taiwanese authorities evacuated thousands of residents before Soudelor made landfall.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Soudelor reached peak winds around 180 mph earlier this week, making it the strongest storm on Earth in 2015 thus far.
Taiwanese airlines have cancelled multiple flights, and railways have suspended services. Schools and offices are closed.
The storm is projected to move to mainland China, though it will have weakened by then.