Taiwan evacuated more than 3,000 residents from vulnerable areas and closed schools and offices on Tuesday as tropical storm Fung-wong approached, news agency AP reported. The storm had earlier killed at least 18 people and displaced more than 1.4 million in the Philippines after making landfall there on Sunday.

Once classified as a typhoon, Fung-wong has weakened as it nears Taiwan and is expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening near the southwestern port city of Kaohsiung.