A powerful typhoon is lashing the northernmost islands of the Philippines, where officials are warning of “potentially very destructive” damage to coastal villages.

Taiwan has put its military units on standby and closed schools and offices across several counties on Tuesday, as the island braces for a powerful typhoon set to make landfall in the next couple days,

The storm is expected to bring torrential rain this week to Taiwan’s southwest, including Kaohsiung, the island’s third-largest city.