Typhoon Champi: hundreds of flights cancelled as storm nears Taiwan
One person died, 171 were injured and 1,000 evacuated as Typhoon Champi brought heavy rain and winds to Taiwan's north-east coast, shutting schools and offices.
At a glance
- Typhoon Champi neared Taiwan's north-east coast on Friday, closing schools, offices and the island's stock exchange.
- One person died, 171 were injured and 1,000 evacuated; Japan's Okinawa reported power cuts to nearly 8,400 households.
- Champi was the year's strongest storm earlier this week, with winds of 185mph over the Philippine Sea.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled across East Asia on Friday as Typhoon Champi passed close to Taiwan's north-east coast, shutting schools and offices across most of the island.
Taiwanese authorities suspended work and classes in nearly all of the island's 22 counties and cities — a so-called "typhoon holiday" — as the storm approached. Only Kinmen county, an archipelago west of the main island, kept work and classes as usual. The Taiwan stock exchange, worth $5tn (£3.7tn), was also closed on Friday because of the severe weather.
One person died after being swept away by waves, authorities said. The storm injured 171 people and forced 1,000 others to evacuate.
Heavy rain forecast until Saturday
Champi was forecast to bring up to 90cm (35in) of rain and strong winds to Taiwan's north-east until Saturday. On Friday afternoon it was packing wind gusts of 191km/h (119mph). Rainfall is expected to peak on Saturday morning and continue until Saturday evening, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration.
Authorities have urged people to stay away from coasts and mountains.
Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan forecast that the eye of the storm would pass without making landfall in Taiwan. But a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Administration told Reuters they could not rule this out completely, especially if the storm "stalls, loops or wobbles from side to side" as it approaches.
After passing Taiwan's north-eastern tip and the Okinawa islands in southern Japan, Champi is expected to hover over waters off China's eastern coast before curving farther north-east towards Japan's main island.
Regional impact
In Japan, power cuts were reported in nearly 8,400 households in the southern Okinawa prefecture, according to the local power company. More than 160 flights were cancelled across four Japanese airlines.
Champi also stirred up heavy rain and winds in Batanes, a Philippine island chain below southern Taiwan. Photos posted on the local government's Facebook page showed waves crashing into seaside villages and roads closed to traffic. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The year's strongest storm
Champi became the strongest storm of the year earlier this week, attaining a maximum sustained wind speed of 185mph (298km/h) as it moved over the Philippine Sea — the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane. It was initially categorised as a "super typhoon" but weakened on Wednesday as it continued through the sea.
Champi is Japan's 30th typhoon of the year, the first time since 2013 that the country has seen so many storms. The recent frequency is due to an unusually strong El Niño, a naturally occurring phenomenon that hits the Pacific Ocean every few years and can trigger extreme weather events, from droughts to typhoons.
Source: BBC World.
Questions and answers
- Will Typhoon Champi make landfall in Taiwan?
- Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan forecast that the eye of the storm will pass without making landfall in Taiwan, though a Taiwanese forecaster told Reuters it could not be ruled out completely.
- How many flights were cancelled because of Typhoon Champi?
- Hundreds of flights across East Asia were cancelled on Friday, including more than 160 across four Japanese airlines.
- Why are there so many typhoons this year?
- The source links the active season to an unusually strong El Niño, a naturally occurring Pacific Ocean phenomenon that can trigger extreme weather events from droughts to typhoons.
