Typhoon Trami in Taiwan will be equivalent to Category 4 or 5 hurricane

Taiwan is bracing for Typhoon Trami, which could be among the strongest storms of the year by the time it hits the island later this week, authorities said on Monday.

As of Monday morning, the storm was still building in strength in the western Pacific near the Philippines and was due to reach super typhoon size before the end of the day, reports CNN.

It was expected to hit Taiwan on Friday or Saturday at a strength equivalent to a Category 4 or 5 hurricane with winds of up to 270 kph.

Current forecasts have suggested that the typhoon will affect northern and central Taiwan as well as Japan's Ryukyu Islands, according to the weather authorities.

Trami's arrival in the western Pacific comes around a week after super typhoon Mangkhut wreaked devastation across the northern Philippines and slammed into Hong Kong and southern China.

More than 100 people were killed by the storm in the Philippines.