Almost all of Taiwan came to a near standstill as Typhoon Champi bore down on the island, forcing the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights and threatening coastal and mountainous communities with ferocious winds and torrential rain.
Though the storm has slightly weakened after previously achieving super typhoon status over the Pacific, meteorologists warn that a direct landfall remains entirely possible. According to the transport ministry, all 262 scheduled domestic flights and 669 international flights were grounded. Taiwan’s financial markets were also closed for the day, though the north-south high-speed rail network continued limited operations.
Massive Wind Radius and Prolonged Threats
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported that Champi was packing maximum sustained wind gusts of around 191 kph (119 mph) near its centre. Positioned roughly 320 km (198 miles) east of Taiwan’s southern tip, the storm’s projected trajectory takes it just off the island’s northeast coast before pivoting north toward the Chinese mainland and eventually tracking into southern Japan.
Tragically, the system has already resulted in at least one fatality and left over 90 people injured. In response to the escalating danger, authorities have evacuated nearly 1,300 residents from vulnerable mountainous terrain. While more than 77,000 homes initially lost power, utility crews have swiftly worked to restore electricity to most households.
CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng noted that a direct landfall cannot be dismissed because Champi’s movement could shift if it begins to “stall, loop, or wobble from side to side” near the island.
“The storm’s wind radius is quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years,” Liu cautioned, explaining that a slower forward speed could expose Taiwan to intense, destructive winds for an extended period.
With a sprawling wind radius spanning approximately 320 km (200 miles)—large enough to blanket almost the entire island—forecasters warn that the disruptive impacts could persist for nearly two days.
Emergency Preparations Across Regions
Emergency text alerts flashed on mobile phones across coastal districts, warning residents of ferocious gusts exceeding 150 kph (93 mph). Meanwhile, northern mountainous zones near Taipei brace for rainfall totals approaching nearly a meter (3 feet).
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Yilan County: Authorities distributed sandbags while stationing amphibious military vehicles and inflatable rescue boats on standby. Local officials in the port town of Suao—historically vulnerable to severe flooding—noted that the military is ready to assist with emergency evacuations if conditions deteriorate.
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Taipei: Squally downpours swept through the capital city, where public transport and the metro system continued operating under reduced schedules.
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Outlying Islands: The Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, situated adjacent to the Chinese coast, stood out as the sole region where offices and schools maintained normal operations.
Following its passage near Taiwan, Champi is projected to sweep over Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island in Okinawa Prefecture, as it continues its destructive path across the Western Pacific.
