Medium-strength Typhoon Gaemi barrelling towards Taiwan

Gaemi, the first typhoon of the season to affect Taiwan, is expected to cross the northeast coast between Wednesday night and early on Thursday, according to the island's Central Weather Administration.

Categorised as a medium-strength typhoon by Taiwan, Gaemi is then likely to move across the Taiwan Strait and then hit the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian early on Friday.

Taiwan's government issued a land warning for the typhoon, centred on Taiwan's east and northeast, meaning that is where it is most likely to cross the coast.

Some mountainous central and southern Taiwan counties are expected to receive up to 1800 millimetres of rain during the typhoon, the weather administration said.

Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills taking place this week had been curtailed, including cancelling fighter jet exercises on the east coast, the defence ministry said.

"The impact from the typhoon at present on the east coast is rather obvious," ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang told reporters. 

"So we will adjust some of the air and naval elements given the typhoon situation."

Taiwan's transport ministry said all ferries to Green Island and Orchid Island, which lie off the southeast coast, were cancelled on Tuesday. 

Four domestic flights were cancelled but there was no disruption to international services yet.

Cities across Taiwan could also declare a typhoon holiday, which would shut financial markets, schools and offices, should they judge the risk from the bad weather to be severe.

Gaemi passed by to the east of the Philippines but did not make landfall, though still brought heavy rain.

While typhoons can be highly destructive, Taiwan also relies on them to replenish reservoirs after the traditionally drier winter months, especially for the southern part of the island.

Australian Associated Press