Taiwan braced for a potentially devastating hit from Typhoon Champi, with nearly 1,000 flights cancelled, financial markets closed and evacuations underway as the storm threatened powerful winds and relentless rain.

Almost all of Taiwan came to a near standstill on Friday as Typhoon Champi approached, forcing the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights and threatening the island with powerful winds and torrential rain.

Although the storm has weakened after briefly reaching super typhoon strength, forecasters warned that a direct landfall remained possible.

The transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights and 669 international flights scheduled for Friday had been cancelled. Taiwan’s financial markets were also shut, while the north-south high-speed rail service continued to operate as usual.

Champi was packing wind gusts of around 191 kph (119 mph) near its centre, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The storm was about 320 km (198 miles) east of Taiwan’s southern tip, with its projected path taking it just off the island’s northeast before turning north towards the Chinese coast and eventually moving into southern Japan.

The storm had already killed one person and injured 171 others in Taiwan.

Nearly 1,300 people were evacuated from mountainous areas, the government said, as authorities braced for flooding and prolonged strong winds.

Authorities also said more than 77,000 homes had lost power, though electricity had already been restored to most.

CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng told Reuters that a direct landfall could not be ruled out, as Champi might change course if it “stalls, loops, or wobbles from side to side” while approaching the island.

“The storm’s wind radius is quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years,” Liu said, warning that a slowdown could expose Taiwan to strong winds for a longer period.

Forecasters put the typhoon’s wind radius at around 320 km (200 miles), large enough to cover most of Taiwan, and warned that its effects could last nearly two days.

Authorities sent mobile phone alerts to coastal towns, warning residents of gusts exceeding 150 kph (93 mph) and urging them to seek shelter. Northern mountainous areas, including those around Taipei, were forecast to receive nearly a metre (3 feet) of rain.

In northeastern Yilan county, where strong winds and heavy showers were intensifying ahead of the storm’s expected close passage, authorities distributed sandbags and kept amphibious vehicles and inflatable rescue boats on standby.

“When necessary, the military will come in to help people, including using amphibious vehicles for evacuations or disaster relief,” said Lee Ming-chen, head of the port town of Suao, which has been badly flooded during previous typhoons.

In Taipei, squally showers swept through the capital, while public transport, including the subway, continued to operate with reduced services. The Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, located next to the Chinese coast, were the only area where schools and offices were set to remain open as usual.

Champi was also forecast to pass over Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island in Okinawa Prefecture, before continuing along its projected path.

With inputs from Reuters