Powerful typhoon pummels Taiwan

Flights were cancelled and ports shut as Typhoon Krosa hit, bringing torrential rain.

It is expected to move towards China where tourists in coastal areas have been evacuated and measures taken at the Special Olympics in Shanghai.

In Vietnam a separate storm, Typhoon Lekima, has killed at least 17 people.

Holiday chaos

In Taiwan's capital, Taipei, more than 200 trees were uprooted and several floods reported.

The northern port city of Keelung suffered a massive power cut, with 400,000 homes affected, officials said.

The BBC's Caroline Gluck in Taipei says Krosa's sprawling 300km (186 mile) radius ensured its strength was felt across the island.

More than 100cm (39.37 inches) of rainfall was recorded in the north-eastern county of Ilan - with almost as much in the central mountain regions.

Torrential downpours have triggered a number of mudslides - one was reported on a major eastern motorway.

A resident of Taitung in southern Taiwan, Chuang Min-hsiang, told the Reuters news agency: "The wind is tremendous here, and we've lost power. We're all at home doing work to protect ourselves from the typhoon."

Rehearsals for celebrations marking Taiwan's National Day on 10 October also had to be cancelled because of the storm.

China began its week-long National Day holiday on 1 October, but that too has been affected by the storm.

Many tourists in the eastern coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian have had their holidays cancelled and more than 2,000 holidaymakers have been evacuated from island resorts.

Typhoon Krosa is expected to make landfall in China on Sunday.

More than 27,000 fishing boats have been recalled to port in the two provinces.

In Shanghai, where the Special Olympics are under way, the local government says it is drafting emergency plans for drainage of the competition venues.

And Formula One motor racing drivers taking part in Sunday's Shanghai Grand Prix are also braced for wet conditions.

Meanwhile, authorities in Vietnam say Typhoon Lekima has damaged more than 70,000 homes and submerged thousands of hectares of rice fields.

Disaster officials estimate the cost of the damage in Vietnam at more than $40m.

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