Wire reporting: (Reuters, via VnExpress International), (AFP, via Arab News), (AP, via The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Typhoon Champi was about 590 km (367 miles) southeast of Taipei on Thursday afternoon with sustained winds of 195 km/h, the Hong Kong Observatory said, according to the South China Morning Post¹. AFP cited the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's figure of 213 km/h⁴. Hong Kong airlines cancelled at least 12 Taiwan and Japan flights, the SCMP reported¹.

Taiwan issued a land warning, and its transport authorities counted 125 cancelled flights Thursday, Reuters reported²; AFP put the figure at more than 150⁴. Taiwan's weather agency expects Champi to pass the northeast coast Friday and Saturday with up to 900 millimeters (35 inches) of rain in the mountains, AFP reported⁴.

Japan Airlines, ANA and Skymark cancelled more than 100 flights through Sunday, and the U.S.-Japan Keen Sword exercise is being adjusted day to day, according to Reuters².

By Friday, Channel NewsAsia and Rappler reported almost all of Taiwan had shut down, with financial markets closed and Kinmen the exception for schools and offices^5,6. Japan Today and France 24, both carrying AFP, likewise reported shops and schools shut across the island^7,10. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration put the storm about 330 km east of the island's southern tip, CNA said⁵; Rappler cited about 320 km⁶. Both said gusts near 191 km/h and a radius of about 320 km^5,6. The storm was not expected to make a direct landfall^5,6.

The transport ministry cancelled all 262 domestic flights for Friday, CNA and Rappler reported^5,6. CNA said more than 350 international flights were cancelled⁵; Rappler put the international total at 669⁶. Rappler, reporting from Yilan, said one person was killed, 94 were injured and almost 1,300 people had been evacuated from mountainous areas⁶. Japan Today and France 24, both carrying AFP, said at least one person was killed after being swept away by waves, dozens of others were injured and more than 1,200 people had been evacuated^7,10. High-speed rail was operating as usual and Taipei subway service was reduced, Rappler said⁶. Suao township head Lee Ming-chen said the military would help with evacuations and disaster relief when needed, according to Rappler⁶.

AFP, via Japan Today and France 24, cited a later Joint Typhoon Warning Center update of 176 km/h maximum sustained winds^7,10. Central Weather Administration administrator Lu Kuo-chen said the storm might slow near Taiwan's northeastern tip, which would lengthen its impact, Japan Today and France 24 reported^7,10. AFP put the rain forecast at up to 90 centimeters from Thursday to Saturday^7,10.

A Reuters livestream description later Friday said almost all of Taiwan had shut down and that the weakening storm could still make a direct landfall⁹.

Deutsche Welle, reporting later Friday, said Taiwan's Central Weather Administration put Champi about 220 km east of the island's southern shore, with a radius of about 320 km and gusts of about 190 km/h¹¹. DW said more than 1,300 people had been evacuated, at least one person had been killed after being swept out to sea and dozens more had been injured¹¹. It said the projected path still takes the storm past the northeast before turning toward China and southern Japan, but that any deviation could mean a direct hit¹¹. DW attributed Champi's earlier super-typhoon winds of 298 km/h to a strong El Nino¹¹.

A later South China Morning Post check of Hong Kong airport listings found more than 70 cancelled flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan as of Friday noon, including more than 30 to and from Taiwan Taoyuan and nine outbound flights to Kaohsiung and Taichung¹². Affected carriers included Cathay Pacific, HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines, Starlux, China Airlines and EVA Air, the SCMP said¹². The SCMP described a possible landfall later Friday¹².

IOL, carrying AFP later Friday, cited a Joint Typhoon Warning Center update of 167 km/h maximum sustained winds¹³. It said more than 1,200 people had been evacuated, at least one person was killed after being swept away by waves and dozens were injured¹³. AFP, via IOL, said several local events in Okinawa Prefecture had been cancelled, and that there had been no change to the U.S.-Japan Keen Sword exercise, though a Japanese military spokeswoman said planners would be flexible¹³.

The Associated Press, carried by The Philadelphia Inquirer, said Taiwan shut schools and offices Friday as Champi brushed the island, with the center forecast to remain offshore near the northeastern tip before turning toward Japan's southwestern islands¹⁴. AP put earlier-week peak winds at 298 kph (185 mph) and later winds at 155 kph (96 mph)¹⁴. It said all 262 domestic flights and 669 international flights were cancelled, high-speed rail on the western coast ran normally, one person was killed Thursday after being swept by waves in Liuqiu, 94 others were injured and almost 1,300 people were evacuated from mountainous areas¹⁴. In southwestern Japan, AP said a woman in her 70s suffered a broken leg on Miyako, nearly 2,000 homes on Ishigaki were without electricity, and dozens of flights were cancelled¹⁴. In the Philippines, AP said the coast guard restricted shipping off several northern towns, Basco airport in Batanes shut, two local flights were cancelled, nearly 200 people evacuated in Cagayan and classes were suspended in Calayan¹⁴.

Dawn, carrying Reuters later Friday, said almost all of Taiwan had shut down and that although Champi was weakening it could still make a direct landfall¹⁵. It put the storm about 220 km east of Taiwan, with CWA gusts of around 191 kph near the center and a radius of about 320 km¹⁵. Dawn said one person was killed, 171 were injured, 2,639 people had been evacuated from mountainous areas, and Taipower reported more than 77,000 homes had lost power, with electricity restored to most¹⁵. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng told Reuters landfall could not be ruled out if the storm stalls, loops or wobbles, and that a slower storm would affect Taiwan longer¹⁵. Dawn's headline put cancelled flights at nearly 1,000¹⁵.

The BBC reported Friday that hundreds of East Asia flights were cancelled as Champi neared Taiwan's northeast coast, with schools and offices shut and Kinmen the exception¹⁶. It said one person died after being swept away by waves, 171 people were injured and 1,000 others were evacuated¹⁶. The BBC said weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan expected the eye to pass without landfall, but that a CWA forecaster told Reuters landfall could not be ruled out if the storm stalls, loops or wobbles¹⁶. It cited Okinawa Electric Power for outages in nearly 8,400 households and more than 160 cancelled flights across four Japanese airlines¹⁶.

A later South China Morning Post report said Taiwan's transport ministry had cancelled 262 local flights and 715 international and cross-strait flights as of 10 a.m. Friday¹⁷. The SCMP said Taiwan Taoyuan, Taipei Songshan, Kaohsiung and Taichung faced large-scale cancellations and that 14 airports across eastern mainland China were projected to be affected¹⁷.

ABC News Australia, reporting later Friday, likewise said Taiwan shut schools and grounded flights as Champi approached, with the CWA putting the storm about 220 km east of Taiwan, gusts of about 191 km/h and a radius of about 320 km¹⁸. It said one person was killed, 171 were injured and 2,639 people had been evacuated from mountainous areas¹⁸. ABC said all 262 domestic flights and 717 international flights were cancelled for Friday, and that Taipower reported more than 77,000 homes had lost power, with electricity restored to most¹⁸. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said landfall could not be ruled out if the storm stalls, loops or wobbles, ABC reported¹⁸. TSMC said operations remained normal, according to ABC¹⁸.

Sources

1. SCMPSuper Typhoon Champi: Hong Kong airlines cancel at least 12 Taiwan, Japan flightsOct 22, 4:42 AM
2. (Reuters, via VnExpress International)Typhoon Champi nears Taiwan, causing 200 flight cancellations and disrupting US-Japan drillsAlso (Reuters, via Dawn)Oct 22, 4:11 AM
3. ReutersTaiwan issues land warning ahead of arrival of powerful Typhoon ChampiOct 22, 12:20 AM
4. (AFP, via Arab News)Taiwan issues warnings as Typhoon Champi nearsAlso (AFP, via Japan Today)Oct 22, 4:44 AM
5. (AP, via The Philadelphia Inquirer)Taiwan shuts schools and grounds flights as Typhoon Champi brushes byOct 23, 3:00 AM

CNA · Rappler · SCMP+8 moreHide

1. CNATaiwan shuts down ahead of Typhoon Champi, hundreds of flights cancelledOct 22, 9:25 PM
2. RapplerTaiwan shuts down ahead of typhoon, hundreds of flights canceledOct 22, 10:29 PM
3. SCMPHonduras squeezes Chinese firms; Super Typhoon Champi nears Taiwan: SCMP's 7 highlightsOct 23, 12:15 AM
4. ReutersLIVE: Typhoon Champi approaches TaiwanOct 23, 1:08 AM
5. France 24Taiwan shuts down schools and businesses as Typhoon Champi approachesOct 22, 11:00 PM
6. DWTaiwan braces as El Nino-supercharged Typhoon Champi approaches islandOct 23, 2:40 AM
7. SCMPSuper Typhoon Champi disrupts more than 70 flights between Hong Kong and TaiwanOct 23, 2:39 AM
8. IOLTaiwan shuts down as Typhoon Champi approachesOct 23, 2:46 AM
9. BBCHundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Champi shuts TaiwanOct 23, 4:45 AM
10. SCMPTyphoon Champi grounds hundreds of flights in Taiwan, threatens eastern mainland ChinaOct 23, 4:00 AM
11. ABC News AustraliaTaiwan shuts down and grounds flights ahead of Typhoon ChampiOct 23, 4:47 AM

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