Typhoon Champi kills one in Taiwan and heads toward China

Typhoon Champi passed Taiwan on Saturday, killing one person and injuring more than 500 people. The storm also uprooted trees and severed power as it weakened and headed north toward the Chinese coast.

The storm had earlier been classified as a super typhoon and was one of the strongest storms in the Pacific in this year. Even while weakening, Champi was still packing gusts of about 126 km per hour near its centre, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration.

The administration said the storm was about 150 km east of Taiwan and had glanced off the island's northeast coast in the early hours of Saturday.

Taiwan's fire department said one man was killed, swept by waves from the island of Liuqiu. Another 527 people were injured during heavy wind and torrential rain.

Taipower said more than 167,000 homes had lost electricity, but most had now been reconnected.

Large parts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, were declared to have a second day of office and school closures on Saturday. Some flights were still being cancelled.

Champi's forecast track showed it turning north toward the Chinese coast before eventually moving into southern Japan.

Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low. Although typhoons are more common in summer, the storms can also strike in autumn.

The storm's effects were reported as it moved past Taiwan, and its weakening did not stop the damage caused by wind and rain. The storm caused damage as it passed Taiwan.

Source: The Guardian.