In brief
Typhoon Champi, a super‑typhoon fueled by a strong El Niño, approached Taiwan’s north‑east coast with winds up to 191 km h−1 and heavy rain forecasts of up to 90 cm. The storm forced hundreds of flights to cancel, shut Taiwan’s stock market and schools in almost all 22 counties, and resulted in one fatality, 171 injuries, and 1,000 evacuations. While a landfall was not yet certain, officials warned of potential stalls or loops that could bring the eye over land. The cyclone also impacted nearby Japan, the Okinawa islands and the Philippine island chain of Batanes, causing power cuts and flight cancellations. Analysts say the season’s intensity reflects a robust El Niño cycle, heightening the risk of severe storms across the region.
Typhoon Champi rattles Taiwan, disrupting flights and daily life
Hundreds of flights across East Asia were grounded Friday as Typhoon Champi, a super‑typhoon that recently reached a peak gust of 191 km h−1 (119 mph), swept close to Taiwan’s north‑eastern coast. Forecasts warned of up to 90 cm (35 in) of rainfall and strong winds lingering until Saturday.
The storm forced Taiwan’s stock exchange to close and prompted a nationwide “typhoon holiday” that shut schools and offices in nearly all 22 counties and cities. Only Kinmen island continued normal operations.
Authorities reported one fatality when waves swept a person away, 171 injuries, and the evacuation of 1,000 residents. The situation underscored the heightened risk of flooding and landslides in the region’s mountainous areas.
While weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan indicated that the storm’s eye might pass over the island without landfall, a forecaster in the Central Weather Administration cautioned that a stall, loop or wobble could bring the eye closer to shore.
The cyclone’s track after Taiwan headed toward the Okinawa islands, then the waters off China’s eastern coast before looping northeast toward mainland Japan. The path has already prompted power cuts in 8,400 households in Okinawa and flight cancellations on more than 160 domestic routes.
Across the Pacific, Champi loomed a threat to the Philippine island chain of Batanes, where officials reported waves crashing into villages and road closures, although no immediate casualties were recorded.
Champi became the strongest storm of the year earlier this week, with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (298 km h−1)—a Category‑5 intensity—before weakening slightly. Analysts note that the current season’s high frequency of typhoons is tied to a powerful El Niño, which heats the Pacific Ocean and amplifies storm development.
The continued activity marks one of the most active typhoon seasons the region has seen in years, with Japan recording its 30th storm of the year—an event not reached since 2013.
