Taiwan braced for typhoon battering

A major typhoon surged towards Taiwan today, closing offices and schools, disrupting transport, and confining millions to their homes as its violent western fringe lashed the island with high winds and heavy rains.

The Central Weather Bureau placed the centre of Typhoon Morakot about 100 miles south of Taiwan’s eastern county of Yilan. It said it was packing winds of 90mph and moving west at a speed of 7mph.