Authorities warn of destructive winds and urge residents to shelter as the storm tracks past the island’s northeast.
Typhoon Champi struck Taiwan on Friday, killing one person and injuring at least 350 others as authorities warned of destructive winds and ordered residents to remain indoors.
The storm swept past the island’s northeastern coast, toppling trees, shuttering businesses and schools, cutting power to thousands of households, and forcing more than 4,300 people to evacuate.
Champi is now tracking toward China and Japan, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights across the region.
“From tonight through tomorrow morning, conditions will be very windy and stormy everywhere,” Central Weather Administration forecaster Lin Ping-yu said in a briefing. “Please try to stay indoors.”
The system briefly reached super typhoon strength with winds near 300 kilometers per hour (186 mph) but has since weakened. The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph).
Forecasters expect conditions to deteriorate further on Saturday. Champi could dump up to 900 millimeters (35 inches) of rain between Thursday and Saturday, with the northeast bearing the brunt. Yilan County recorded more than 400 mm of rainfall on Friday alone.
CWA forecaster Lu Kuo-chen warned the typhoon could stall near the island’s northeastern tip, prolonging its impact.
In Japan’s Okinawa islands, roughly 8,400 households were without power on Friday afternoon, according to Okinawa Electric Power Company. The storm is forecast to linger near Okinawa before skirting China’s eastern coast and turning northeast toward mainland Japan.
Champi is the latest storm in a Pacific season intensified by El Niño. The United Nations warned Wednesday that the current El Niño event—a natural cycle warming the tropical Pacific—is reaching unprecedented strength.
“The current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength. Literally off the monitoring charts that we have used for the past four decades,” said Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization.
The phenomenon is expected to peak in December, with effects persisting into 2027 and beyond.
Also Read
- Israel Orders Full Closure of West Bank Crossings for Election Day Following Fatal Attack
- Protests Erupt Across Europe as Soldiers Secure Milan’s City Center
- Former President Obama Criticizes Trump Administration at Democratic Campaign Rallies in Ohio and Michigan
- Obama Condemns Trump’s Governance at Ohio Campaign Rally for Democratic Candidates