Almost all of Taiwan came to a standstill on Friday as authorities enacted widespread closures ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Champi. The storm, which is forecast to bring torrential rain and strong winds, was weakening as it approached and was not expected to make a direct landfall on the island.
At its peak, Champi had reached super typhoon status, establishing itself as one of the most powerful storms in the Pacific this year. According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the storm retained maximum sustained gusts of approximately 191 kilometers per hour, equivalent to 119 miles per hour, near its center.
Meteorologists and weather officials tracked the system at about 330 kilometers, or 205 miles, east of Taiwan’s southern tip. The projected track indicates that the storm will pass just off the northeastern coast of Taiwan, curve northward toward the Chinese mainland, and ultimately track into southern Japan. Forecasters noted that the typhoon’s vast radius spans roughly 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, making it expansive enough to envelop most of the island. Weather experts warned that the storm’s disruptive impacts could persist for nearly two days.
In response to the severe weather warnings, financial markets in Taiwan suspended operations for the day. Local authorities ordered the closure of schools and offices across nearly the entire territory, with the sole exception of the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands situated immediately adjacent to the Chinese coast, where daily routines continued as normal.
Transportation networks suffered major disruptions. The transport ministry confirmed the cancellation of all 262 domestic flights scheduled for Friday, alongside more than 350 international flights.
Taiwan maintains robust emergency preparation protocols for severe weather events, a factor that historically keeps casualties low during major storms. While typhoons occur more frequently during the summer months, autumn systems remain capable of delivering powerful gusts and torrential downpours across the region. Following its passage near Taiwan, the storm was forecast to sweep over Yonaguni, the westernmost inhabited island in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture.
