"It's a dilemma. While we hope the typhoon could introduce sufficient rain badly needed here, we are afraid it would cause damage," a representative from the Central Weather Bureau said.

The bureau warned fishing boats off the south and southeast of the island to be vigilant for what is expected to be the first typhoon to hit Taiwan in April since 1978.

Also, "The typhoon could bring heavy rains to the east and the mountainous areas of the north," the weatherman said.

Local governments set up special task forces to deal with storm.

The bureau said the typhoon was centred about 480 kilometres (300 miles) southeast of Oluanpi, the southern-most tip of Taiwan, at 5:00 pmand moving northwest at 10 kilometres per hour.

It would become clear on Tuesday if the typhoon would directly hit the island or bypass it, the weatherman said.

Officials have been concerned that the 18 major reservoirs on the island could dry out before the typhoon season starts, which is usually in June.

The rainfall registered on the island in January and February was at least 80 percent less than the average amount recorded in the same period of previous years, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

Kujira, packing maximum winds of about 155 kilometres per hour, is expected to move to 250 kilometres southeast of Oluanpi by 8:00 am Tuesday, the bureau said.

The typhoon has prompted the Philippines to hoist the second stage of a three-step storm alert over its extreme northern islands.

SPACE.WIRE