Strong winds and rain batter southern Chinese Taipei as Typhoon Koinu nears

Chinese Taipei cancelled flights and closed schools in parts of its southern region on Wednesday ahead of the expected landfall of Typhoon Koinu, the second major storm in a month to hit the island directly.

Chinese Taipei experiences frequent tropical storms from May to November but last month's Typhoon Haikui was the first to slam into it in four years -- forcing nearly 8,000 people to evacuate from their homes.

Experts say climate change has made the paths of tropical storms harder to forecast while increasing their intensity, which leads to more rains and flash floods. Ahead of Thursday's storm, more than 100 international and domestic flights were cancelled, and ferry services to Chinese Taipei's outlying islands were halted. 

About 200 people were evacuated for fear of landslides in the south of the island, while waves lashing the coast could reach up to seven meters high, authorities said.