Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday as Typhoon Champi approached the island, bringing the threat of destructive winds, torrential rain, and possible flooding, with forecasters warning the weakening storm could still make landfall.
One person has died and 94 others have been injured, while nearly 1,300 people have been evacuated from mountainous areas, according to Taiwanese authorities.
The government has suspended work and classes across almost the entire island, and the transport ministry has cancelled all 262 domestic flights scheduled for Friday, alongside 715 international services.
Champi, which reached super typhoon status earlier this week, was about 330km (205 miles) east of Taiwan’s southern tip on Friday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). It was generating gusts of around 191kph (119mph) near its centre, despite weakening from its earlier peak.
The storm’s centre is forecast to pass close to Taiwan’s northeastern coast before turning north towards China and eventually moving towards Japan. However, forecasters have warned that its movement could become unpredictable as it approaches the island.
CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng told Reuters that a direct hit could not be ruled out if the storm "stalls, loops, or wobbles from side to side" on its approach.
"The storm's wind radius is quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years," the forecaster said. "If the storm slows down, the strong winds will affect Taiwan for longer."
The typhoon’s wind field spans about 320km (200 miles), potentially exposing much of Taiwan to its effects. Forecasters expect the storm to affect the island for almost two days, with the heaviest rain likely in northern and northeastern mountainous areas.
Taiwan’s CWA has warned that some mountain areas could receive between 600mm and 900mm of rain, according to the Taipei Times. Coastal communities have also been warned of powerful winds and high waves, with authorities urging residents to stay away from beaches, mountains and waterways.
Emergency preparations have been stepped up across the island, with particular concern over areas vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence said it had activated its highest-level emergency response and deployed nearly 20,000 soldiers, along with amphibious vehicles, trucks, inflatable rafts and other rescue equipment, according to Taiwanese News. Military medical teams have also been assigned to assist with relief operations.
In the northeastern county of Yilan, authorities have distributed sandbags and placed amphibious vehicles and inflatable rescue boats on standby as strong winds and heavy rain intensify.
"When necessary, the military will come in to help people, including using amphibious vehicles for evacuations or disaster relief," said Lee Ming-chen, head of the port town of Suao, which has suffered severe flooding during previous typhoons.
Authorities are also concerned about a landslide dam on Wanli Creek in Hualien County, reported the Taipei Times citing National Fire Agency chief Cheng Chih Chiang. The dam was holding five million tonnes of water as of Thursday morning, Premier Cho Jung-tai said, raising fears that it could breach during the storm.
Mr Cheng had urged local authorities to evacuate residents living downstream of the dam. Officials have also warned people to remain away from creeks, beaches and mountainous areas even after the typhoon moves away.
President Lai Ching-te has called on residents to follow official warnings, comply with evacuation orders and avoid exposed coastal and mountain areas.
The death reported in Taiwan occurred off Liuqiu, a small coral island in Pingtung County, southwest of the main island.
According to the Taipei Times, the Coast Guard Administration said a free diver in his twenties appeared to have been swept out to sea by a strong rip current. Divers aboard a recreational boat found him drifting near Beauty Cave after a search lasting more than two hours.
The fire department attributed many of the 94 reported injuries to road accidents and falls.
The approaching typhoon has also disrupted transport and business across Taiwan. Financial markets have also shut for the day.
The north-south high-speed rail service was operating as usual, although public transport in Taipei was running with reduced services, according to Reuters.
The disruption extends beyond Taiwan. Japan’s All Nippon Airways has cancelled flights to and from Miyako and Ishigaki airports in Okinawa Prefecture, while Japan Airlines has cancelled services to Taipei Songshan and Taiwan Taoyuan international airports, the BBC reported.
Okinawa Electric Power reported power outages affecting 3,630 households in Japan. Prime minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to prepare for dangerous weather.
"Exercise extreme caution against storm-force winds, high waves, sediment disasters and storm surges through tomorrow".
"Vigilance is also needed against flooding in low-lying areas, as well as rising and overflowing rivers" in the Okinawa and Amami regions, she wrote in a post on X.
The storm has also brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Batanes island chain in the northern Philippines, between Taiwan and Luzon.
A high-level wind warning was issued there, with gusts of up to 150kph expected. Images shared by local authorities showed waves crashing against coastal villages and roads closed to traffic, the BBC reported.
In China, meteorological authorities issued a blue alert, the lowest level in the country’s four-tier warning system, ahead of the storm’s expected passage near the eastern coast. Zhejiang province issued a higher-level orange alert, warning of large waves along its coastline.
Although the storm has since weakened, its broad wind field and the volume of rain forecast across Taiwan remain major concerns.
Champi was part of an active Pacific storm season amid an El Niño event, a natural climate cycle that warms sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific and can alter rainfall and other weather patterns.
Taiwan regularly experiences typhoons and has established emergency procedures for dealing with them. Authorities are nevertheless warning residents to remain cautious as Champi approaches, particularly in areas exposed to flooding, landslides and high waves.
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