The typhoon has also brought gales, torrential rain and high waves to neighbouring Zhejiang province.
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Nearly 500,000 people are without electricity as the storm has left a trail of destruction.
Typhoons are a yearly occurrence in Taiwan from June through October, and these storms create risky conditions that affect all of the nation’s residents.
Just outside the capital, Taipei, landslides blocked the roads into the tourist town of Wulai in the northern part of the country.
The storm was about 90 kilometers east-northeast of Taiwan’s Kinmen Island by 8:30 am, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau.
“In areas that could become isolated during the typhoon, sufficient rescue and communications equipment will be deployed in advance”.
The bureau also recommends that people look out for obstacles and debris while commuting; avoid mountainous areas because of possible mudslides and landslides; and check water quality and avoid drinking water that is murky or appears abnormal in any way.
Shops and hotels have remained closed as roads and flood damage have yet to be fully repaired. “Any damage may further prolong the time needed for reconstruction”, Chou Chih-kang, a Wulai neighbourhood chief, told AFP.
The weather bureau warned that the “massive amount” of rubble on mountain slopes and riverbeds since Soudelor could lead to further damage.
If an evacuation order is issued due to flooding, the bureau advises people to head to their nearest shelter and make sure to carry personal identification. Emergency response centres have been established in the north and east.
The storm forced USA rock band Bon Jovi to cancel their gig in Taipei for a second night. Ferry services and flights to outlying islands were suspended.
Japan’s meteorological agency has warned it could trigger waves 13 metres high.
As Typhoon Dujuan headed across the Pacific Ocean towards Taiwan, the island suspended train services, while subway and local bus services in Taipei were halted and hundreds of domestic and global flights were delayed or cancelled. Typhoon Soudelor caused at least eight deaths in Taiwan last month and killed 21 people in China.
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Preparations were under way on mainland China for the storm, which made landfall in Fujian Province early Tuesday, the Xinhua news agency reported.
