Flights urgently cancelled, the country paralyzed: A powerful typhoon strikes Taiwan VIDEO

The storm hit mountainous and sparsely populated Taitung County on the east coast, Taiwan's Central Meteorological Administration said, with strong winds and heavy rain sweeping nearly the entire island.

Supertyphoon Kong-ray weakened slightly overnight, but remained the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane with gusts in excess of 250 km/h, according to the tropical storm risk rating.
 

The Taiwan Meteorological Administration said it would be the biggest typhoon to hit the island since 1996.

"I hope everyone in the country will cooperate in avoiding disaster and refrain from dangerous behavior such as watching waves during a typhoon," President Lai Ching-te wrote on his Facebook page.

Forecasters said the storm would weaken significantly after hitting the east coast and head towards the Taiwan Strait and urged residents across the island to stay at home due to the risk of strong winds.