Strengthening typhoon Fung Wong made landfall in southern Taiwan early on Monday morning, affecting the whole island with wind and rain.

Schools and businesses were closed on Monday.

The eye of the powerful typhoon landed at Hualien County at 6:50 a.m., causing a blackout that affected 15,498 households.

The provincial observatory said the storm affected the whole island, with Force-12 winds and downpours. Yilan County to the northeast of the island received the most rain, which had exceeded 600 millimeters as of midnight.

Authorities issued yellow alerts for 425 mountain torrents. The city government of Taibei, the provincial capital, opened several bridges and flyovers for parking, as some low-lying urban areas were in danger of flooding.

Fung Wong hit Taiwan just a week after tropical storm Kalmaegi killed 19 people and left six others missing on the island.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2008)