TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A magnitude 6.0 earthquake caused minor damage in northeastern Taiwan early on Thursday morning as the island braced for the arrival of a severe typhoon.

Taiwan's earthquake monitoring bureau said the quake struck 5:28 a.m. Thursday in the Pacific Ocean about 36 kilometres (22 miles) southeast of the city of Yilan. The epicenter was about 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) beneath sea level.

Television reports showed goods knocked off grocery store shelves and slight structural damage to buildings and the quake was felt mildly in the capital Taipei, also in the island's north.

No injuries or deaths have been reported.

Taiwan is on a string of Pacific seismic faults known as the "Rim of Fire" and is frequently rocked by tremors, including a 1999 quake that killed more than 2,300 people.

It's also frequently hit by Pacific typhoons.

The Central Weather Bureau on Thursday issued a warning for residents of Yilan, as well as Taipei and surrounding areas in the north and along the east coast in advance of Typhoon Lekima. High winds and heavy rain were expected during the day, with the typhoon packing maximum sustained winds of 184 kph (114 mph) gusting up to 227 kph (141 mph). It was forecast to edge toward mainland China on Friday.