Nearly the whole of Taiwan came to a standstill on Friday as Typhoon Champi bore down on the island, with forecasters warning of powerful winds and heavy downpours. Although the storm has lost some strength, it could still make a direct landfall.
At its peak, Champi was described as a super typhoon and one of the strongest Pacific storms this year. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said gusts near its centre were still around 191 kph (119 mph), and placed the system about 320 km (198 miles) east of the island’s southern tip.
Forecast path and rainfall warnings
The projected track shows the storm passing just off Taiwan’s northeast coast before turning north toward the Chinese coast and eventually reaching southern Japan. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said a landfall could not be ruled out if the storm “stalls, loops, or wobbles from side to side” as it approaches.
Liu also said the wind radius was “quite large”, and that a slower movement would keep strong winds over the island for longer. Coastal towns received mobile phone alerts warning of gusts above 150 kph (93 mph) and urging residents to seek shelter immediately.
Nearly a metre (3 feet) of rain was forecast for northern mountain areas, including the area around Taipei.
Evacuations and readiness in Yilan and Suao
In Yilan county, where winds and showers were strengthening, authorities handed out sandbags and placed amphibious vehicles and inflatable rescue boats on standby. The typhoon was forecast to pass close by later on Friday.
Lee Ming-chen, head of the port town of Suao, which was badly flooded in previous typhoons, said: “When necessary, the military will come in to help people, including using amphibious vehicles for evacuations or disaster relief.”
The government said almost 1,300 people had been evacuated from mountainous areas, and one person had been killed and 94 injured in Taiwan. Forecasters said the storm’s radius of around 320 km (200 miles) was large enough to cover most of the island, and weather experts said its impact could last nearly two days.
Flights cancelled and transport affected
The transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights had been cancelled for Friday, along with 669 international services. The north-south high-speed rail was operating as usual.
In Taipei, squally showers fell, but public transport, including the subway, was running with reduced service. Taiwan’s financial markets also closed on Friday, while the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, next to the Chinese coast, were set to keep schools and offices open as normal.
Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low. The typhoon is forecast to first pass over Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, in Okinawa Prefecture.
