Koinu is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s southeastern coast near the city of Taitung tomorrow morning as a Category 3 typhoon, but then weaken as it crosses the island’s southern tip and enters the Taiwan Strait, according to Tropical Storm Risk.

The heaviest rain will fall along mountainous and sparsely populated parts of Pingtung county in the south and the east coast counties of Taitung and Hualien, but the typhoon will also affect the major southern port city of Kaohsiung.

Kaohsiung and its neighbouring city of Tainan said they would suspend work and classes from 6pm today as the weather worsens.

After passing through Taiwan, the typhoon will head towards southern China’s Guangdong and Fujian provinces and then Hong Kong, where it is likely to weaken further to become a tropical storm.

Hong Kong’s weather observatory said Koinu will enter within 800km of the financial hub this afternoon.

The observatory will issue the lowest typhoon signal, 1, tonight.