Tropical storm Fung-Wong, which left ten dead in the Philippines, has pounded Taiwan with torrential downpours and strong winds.
The storm forced the cancellation of dozens of flights and ferry services.
The Taiwanese defence ministry ordered 48,000 soldiers to be on stand-by while fishing boats were advised to seek shelter at ports.
Fung-Wong scrapped the southern tip of the island around 10am (3am Irish time) after it veered east away from its forecast route.
The storm brought torrential rains and strong winds which whipped high waves off the south coast.
It forced thousands of tourists and surfers to leave the popular Kenting area.
Packing winds of 90km per hour, Fung-Wong had dumped up to 60cm of rain as it tracked north-northeast, the bureau said.
Kaohsiung was on alert as authorities deployed water pumps to the main southern city.
It is still recovering from a huge blast which killed 30 people and damaged a good part of its drainage system in July.
The storm was expected to churn northwards along the east coast, the Central Weather Bureau said.
It was the second storm to hit the island this year, following Typhoon Matmo in July.
A TransAsia Airways domestic flight crashed after an aborted landing during Matmo, killing 48 people on board while 10 passengers survived.
In the Philippines, Fung-Wong claimed 10 lives, with roof-high floods.
83,000 people had to leave their homes, after heavy rains paralysed the capital Manila and nearby regions.
