A typhoon bringing strong winds and torrential rainfall is slowly advancing toward Taiwan, where thousands of people have been evacuated from vulnerable low-lying or mountainous terrain.

At least 3ft of rain has fallen in the coastal Taitung County in the past four days and 11.4in in the major port city of Kaohsiung ahead of Typhoon Krathon.

The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds near the centre of 108mph and gusts of 130mph, is expected to make landfall early on Thursday on Taiwan’s densely populated west coast, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration.

Waves crash on the coastline in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan
Densely-populated areas of Taiwan are expected to be affected from Thursday (AP)

Typhoons rarely hit Taiwan’s west coast, affecting instead the mountainous, eastern side of the island.

Authorities shut schools and government offices across the island and cancelled all domestic flights.

In the eastern Hualien County, more than 3,000 people were evacuated from townships vulnerable to landslides.

Almost 200 people in the south-western city of Tainan and more than 800 residents of the southern Pingtung County were also evacuated.

Rescuers use a boat to evacuate residents at a flooded village as powerful Typhoon Krathon affects Laoag, Ilocos Norte, northern Philippines
The typhoon caused widespread damage in the Philippines (Philippine Coast Guard via AP)

Before noon on Wednesday, the centre of the typhoon was around 81 miles south-west of Kaohsiung, moving north-eastward at around 5mph. It has been weakening and will continue to do so after landfall, the weather administration said.

Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai earlier warned residents against approaching areas prone to flooding and landslides near rivers, the sea and the mountains.

He likened Krathon’s intensity to that of Typhoon Thelma, which in 1977 devastated Kaohsiung and caused 37 deaths.

In Kaohsiung, most stores and restaurants remained closed for a second consecutive day. Shoppers emptied supermarket shelves of essentials including bread, meats and instant noodles.

Almost 40,000 troops are on stand-by to help with rescue efforts.

The typhoon on Monday lashed northern Philippine islands, where four people were killed and at least 5,000 were displaced, officials said.