(CNN) -- Typhoon Matmo has slammed in Taiwan, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and the threat of landslides on the mountainous island. Winds traveling at up to 64 knots (33 meters per second) swept over the territory, downing trees, cutting electricity and sending water gushing over roads. "The water is just sheeting off the mountains -- waterfalls flowing off cliffs, rivers in full flood. I've seen trees down, flash floods across the roads, so it's a really very hazardous environment at the moment," storm chaser James Reynolds told CNN Wednesday morning, approximately 7 a.m. local time (7 p.m. ET). Reynolds was driving north along the coastal road on the eastern side of the island, a journey he described as "not easy," as he swerved around fallen rocks and trees.
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Strong winds, rain raises threat of mudslides in Taiwan
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Typhoon Matmo passed over the island in the early hours of Wednesday morning
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"Water is just sheeting off the mountains," storm chaser James Reynolds tells CNN
Matmo lost strength as it passed over @placeholder and was downgraded to a tropical cyclone.