Typhoon Champi Shuts Taiwan, Grounds 931 Flights as Storm Skirts the Island Toward Japan

Taiwan came to a near standstill on Friday as Typhoon Champi swept along its eastern flank, forcing the government to close schools, offices and financial markets and to ground every scheduled flight on the island.

Taiwan's transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights and 669 international flights were cancelled. One person died after being swept away by waves on Liuqiu, a small coral island off the island's southwestern coast, and 94 people were injured, according to emergency officials. Close to 1,300 residents were moved out of vulnerable mountain areas as a precaution.

A weaker storm, but still dangerous

Champi was one of the most powerful storms anywhere in the world this year. Earlier in the week its maximum sustained winds peaked at about 298 km/h, and earlier this month it tore across several Pacific islands, including Guam, where a federal disaster area was declared.

By the time it approached Taiwan from the southwest, it had weakened to sustained winds of around 155 km/h. Forecasters expect its centre to stay offshore as it passes the island's northeastern tip and then turns north. Even without a direct landfall, the outer bands carry heavy rain and dangerous seas. Forecasts called for up to about 300 mm of rain in the northeast, and authorities warned of waves higher than six metres along exposed coasts.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration told people in coastal areas to avoid going outdoors or driving and to watch for falling objects. High-speed rail services on the western side of the island kept running normally.

Japan and the Philippines also feel the impact

The storm's next stop is Japan's southwestern island chain. On Miyako island, a woman in her seventies broke her leg in the strong winds, according to the Okinawa prefectural government. On Ishigaki, nearly 2,000 homes lost electricity, and dozens of flights to and from Miyako, Ishigaki and Okinawa were cancelled.

In the northern Philippines, the coast guard barred ships and ferries from sailing in rough waters off several towns. The main airport in Basco, the capital of Batanes province, was closed, and in Cagayan province nearly 200 people left their homes for safer ground. Classes were suspended on the island town of Calayan.

Why the shutdown matters beyond Taiwan

A one-day closure of Taiwan's stock exchange and its airports is a reminder of how exposed one of Asia's most important manufacturing and trading hubs is to extreme weather. Taiwan sits at the centre of global electronics supply chains, and airline and freight schedules across the region now face a knock-on scramble as cancelled flights are rebooked.

Champi's path north toward the Chinese coast and southern Japan means disruption will likely move with it over the weekend, even as conditions in Taiwan begin to ease. Officials will be watching for landslides in the mountains and flooding in the northeast, where rain tends to linger after the strongest winds have passed.

This is an original summary based on public reporting. See our editorial policy for how we source, write, and correct our stories.