TAIPEI, May 16 (AP) -- Taiwan on Tuesday issued a sea warning for Typhoon Chanchu, calling on all maritime traffic west and south of the island to prepare for strong winds.

The storm was not expected to hit Taiwan directly, but its strong winds could threaten shipping in the 160-kilometer-wide (100-mile-wide) Taiwan Strait between the island and China, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Chanchu, which means "pearl" in Chinese, was moving north in the South China Sea at 18 kph (11 mph) and packing winds of 162 kph (100 mph) near the storm's center, the weather bureau said.

The typhoon whirled over the Philippines last weekend, killing at least 37 people and leaving thousands homeless.

The storm was the strongest typhoon ever to be reported in the South China Sea during the month of May, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

Typhoons and tropical storms frequently hit Taiwan in summer and autumn, triggering deadly flash floods and landslides on the crowded, mountainous island.