Preparations were underway across Taiwan for the landfall of Fung-Wong, which had been downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the island, according to the Central Weather Administration.

The weather agency warned Tuesday that the system will still bring strong winds and heavy rain to the island and nearby waters.

On Tuesday morning, the storm had maximum sustained winds of up to 108 kph (67 mph) and gusts of 137 kph (85 mph) and it was expected to sweep across the island and exit from its northeastern side Wednesday evening or early Thursday, Taiwan’s weather agency said.

More than 3,300 people from four counties and cities have been evacuated near the eastern township of Guangfu, where flooding from a typhoon in September caused a barrier lake to overflow, killing 18 people.

Schools and offices were closed on Tuesday in Hualien and Yilan counties, while weather authorities issued a land warning covering south and southwestern areas including Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Tainan and Taitung.

Fung-wong slammed into the northeastern Philippine coast from the Pacific on Sunday as a super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph).

The 1,800-kilometer (1,100-mile)-wide storm killed at least 18 people in flash floods and landslides in several northern provinces.

The Philippines and Taiwan are battered by numerous typhoons and storms each year.