Typhoon Podul weakened to a severe tropical storm when it roared ashore in southeastern China early on Thursday, state media said, after carving a path across Taiwan, shutting down businesses, grounding flights and knocking out power to thousands of homes.

Typhoon Podul crossed southern Taiwan, where authorities closed schools and government offices as heavy rain threatened more damage to agriculture in the island's southeast. No major damage was reported.

Typhoon Podul slammed into Taiwan’s Taitung County on Wednesday, forcing school and government office closures across nine cities, including Kaohsiung and Tainan. Moving at 36 km/h toward the Taiwan Strait and China,