Taiwan braces for tropical storm

TAIPEI (AFP) - The authorities in Taiwan warned of powerful winds and torrential rain as tropical storm Pabuk bore down on the island Tuesday.

Hundreds of fishing boats were sheltering at ports along the country's northeastern coast as officials urged residents in eastern, southern and northern Taiwan to take precautions against the storm.

The storm's centre was 380 kilometers (235 miles) east-southeast of southern Taitung county at 09:15 am (0115 GMT), an alert from Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said.

Pabuk, named after a fish, packed winds gusting at up to 101 kilometres per hour, had a radius of 150 kilometres and was moving west-northwest at a speed of 21 kilometres an hour, it said.