for several more hours , and the southern portion of Morakot would likely be passing over Taiwan for hours after that . The storm 's impact had already been felt by Friday morning , with mudslides and landslides occurring on the island . The area has been severely affected by drought in recent months , leaving the ground so hard that it does not absorb the rainfall , Corriveau said . Taiwan 's Central News Agency , acknowledging the drought , cited the Water Resources Agency as saying that the storm had replenished the island 's reservoirs and would put an end to water rationing in several areas . Watch more about the typhoon 's impact '' The storm prompted airlines to cancel flights . Schools and government offices were closed ahead of Morakot 's arrival , according to Taiwan 's Central News Agency . Trading at the Taiwan Stock Exchange was also postponed until Monday , the news agency reported . In China , state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that governments in coastal provinces were readying themselves for the storm and had ordered fishing boats to seek shelter before Thursday night . In Fujian province , about 8.4 million
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Typhoon Morakot dumped heavy rain on Taiwan early Saturday and threatened to further soak the recently drought-stricken island . A man fights against strong winds in Hsintien , Taipei county , Taiwan , on Friday . As of 3 a.m. local time , the storm 's eye was over the northern part of the island , CNN forecaster Kevin Corriveau reported , although he noted that slow-moving Morakot is so large it encompassed the entire island . Journalist Andrew Lee in Taipei , citing local media , said the storm had blown off roofs and washed out some bridges . Corriveau said the island has received more than 39 inches -LRB- 99 centimeters -RRB- of rain from the storm , which he said was expected to dump another 39 to 47 inches -LRB- 99 to 119 centimeters -RRB- of rain on Taiwan . The storm made landfall carrying winds of up to 92 mph -LRB- 148 km/h -RRB- , with gusts up to 115 mph -LRB- 185 km/h -RRB- , the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said . iReport.com : See balcony view of heavy rains Corriveau said the storm was expected to linger over the island