Taiwan has put its military units on standby and closed schools and offices across several counties on Tuesday, as the island braces for a powerful typhoon set to make landfall in the next couple days,

The storm is expected to bring torrential rain this week to Taiwan’s southwest, including Kaohsiung, the island’s third-largest city.

Taiwan closed schools and offices and evacuated hundreds from vulnerable areas around the island ahead of a strong typhoon expected to hit its populated western coast.