Tropical Storm Trami Bears Down on Taiwan

A man ferries a passenger on a boat past a church along a flooded road brought by moonsoon rains and reinforced by tropical storm Trami, in Calumpit, Bulacan, north of Manila, August 21, 2013.

Tropical Storm Trami is bringing heavy winds and torrential rain to northern Taiwan, prompting schools and offices to close.

Forecasters say the storm is still over 200 kilometers east of Taipei, with wind gusts of nearly 140 kilometers per hour.

Authorities say landslides and flooding could occur. Some areas of the heavily populated island could see rainfall of more than 100 millimeters per hour.

Financial markets, government offices, schools, and some public transit systems have been closed. Thousands of soldiers have been deployed to assist with possible relief efforts.

Trami already killed eight people earlier this week as it passed over the Philippines. As of Wednesday, large portions of the capital, Manila, remain flooded and nearly 300,000 people are displaced.