Thousands evacuated as typhoon nears THOUSANDS of people have been evacuated in Taiwan and the entire island declared an "alert zone" as Typhoon Soulik edges nearer. More than 8000 people have been moved from their homes, many from southern areas prone to landslides, the Central Emergency Operation Centre says as the typhoon is expected to pound the country with powerful winds and heavy rain over the weekend. "The whole country is now considered an alert zone," an official from the National Fire Agency told AFP. Around 5000 of those who have been evacuated were from the landslide zones in the south - 3000 were moved out of Kaohsiung city and 2000 others from Pingtung county. They have been taken to local government buildings which have been turned into shelters. Offices and schools closed in Taipei and eight other cities, with residents advised to stay indoors as the typhoon churns towards the island. Packing winds of up to 209km/h, Soulik is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast around 3am on Saturday (0500 AEST), the Central Weather Bureau said. The bureau downgraded Soulik from a super typhoon to a moderate typhoon but warned residents across the island to prepare for "extreme torrential rain" - classified as 350mm within 24 hours - and rough seas. In the north, more than 600 residents were evacuated from six low-lying riverside villages on Friday morning. In Wuchieh, a township in the northeastern Yilan county - which is forecast to bear the brunt of Soulik - over 2000 sandbags were snatched up by residents and two amphibious military vehicles deployed for rescue. Waves as high as 1.5 metres hit the shore in Yilan on Friday afternoon as coastguards patrolled the beach to warn visitors to stay away while hundreds of fishing boats sought shelter. "Many farmers have harvested rice, fruits and vegetables early as the typhoon is expected to impact our area," said Huang Hai-tao, an official in Jiaosi, a popular tourist destination in Yilan. The typhoon has also caused some damage to tourism as more than 90 per cent bookings for this weekend have been cancelled. President Ma Ying-jeou urged government units and the public "not to let their guards down" in a statement, after inspecting the central government's disaster response centre. A coastal highway in Yilan where 20 Chinese tourists were killed by landslides caused by Typhoon Megi in 2010 was also closed. More than 2000 tourists had already been evacuated from the remote Green Island, southeast of Taiwan, on Thursday. The storm has disrupted air travel to and from Taiwan with 65 flights cancelled according to the transport authorities.