Taiwan on Thursday issued a warning over a strong typhoon approaching the island which could bring torrential rains and trigger landslides, a month after another heavy storm left six dead.

Residents in the north and east of the island were asked to take precautions against Typhoon Jelawat which is gaining momentum and approaching the island, the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement.

As of 0900 GMT, Jelawat was 380 kilometres (236 miles) southeast of the island's southern-most tip.

With a radius of 250 kilometres and packing winds of up to 191 kilometres an hour, the typhoon was moving north-northwest at 14 kilometres per hour.

Typhoon Saola pounded Taiwan with fierce winds and torrential rain in August that left six people dead and forced nearly the entire island to shut down.