In brief
Typhoon Champi has forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights across East Asia and triggered a nationwide "typhoon holiday" in Taiwan. Schools and offices shut down as the storm approached, while the Central Weather Administration warned of up to 90cm of rain. The typhoon left one person dead, 171 injured, and 1,000 evacuated. Taiwan’s stock exchange was closed and major airports were evacuated. The storm may also bring heavy impacts to Japan, the Philippines and China as it tracks northward.
Hundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Champi shuts Taiwan
The southern Pacific’s powerful Typhoon Champi has roared to Taiwan’s north‑east coast, prompting airlines across East Asia to cancel more than 800 flights.
Schools and offices across the island shut abruptly on Friday, as the storm’s eye approached. A nationwide "typhoon holiday" meant almost every county and city postponed work and classes. Only Kinmen county, a small archipelago west of the main island, kept its usual schedule.
Taiwan’s $5tn stock exchange closed as well, its first full shutdown of the year caused by the severe weather.
The Central Weather Administration warned of up to 90cm of rain and wind gusts of 191km/h (119mph). Heavy rainfall peaked Saturday morning and was forecast to linger across the island.
Officials said one person lost his life after being swept away by storm waves, while 171 were injured and roughly 1,000 were forced to evacuate. The authorities urged residents to stay away from coasts and mountain slopes.
The storm has followed a string of intense typhoons driven by a powerful El Niño that has warmed the Pacific and amplified upwelling. Champi, once the strongest storm of the year, reached sustained winds of 185mph (298km/h) earlier this week.
It is expected to pass the north‑east tip of Taiwan, drift over waters off China’s east coast, and eventually curve toward Japan’s main island. Forecast models show the eye may stall or loop, raising concerns that the storm might land on Taiwan.
In Japan the typhoon has already caused power outages in 8,400 households in Okinawa, and 160 flights have been canceled among four airlines. Philippine islands below Taiwan, notably Batanes, suffered heavy rains and the government posted images of waves crashing shepherded villages.
The chain of storms emerging this year places the region on a record‑high for typhoon activity, with Japan already recording its 30th typhoon of the year.
