The power was interrupted in northeastern Ilan county, while the storm brought strong winds and torrential rain that caused some airports on the island to shut down, disrupting domestic air traffic.

"The tropical storm is expected to introduce at least 150 millimeters (six inches) of rainfall to the island's northern and northeastern mountainous areas," a bureau official said.

The eye of the tropical storm was 290 kilometers (174 miles) southeast of the eastern Hualien city at 6:00 pm (1000 GMT), the bureau said.

The storm, with winds of 65 kilometers an hour at its center, was moving northwest at 26 kilometers an hour.

TERRA.WIRE