Typhoon Champi Weakens Over Taiwan

298 kilometres per hour. That was the peak wind speed Typhoon Champi reached earlier in the week before it began to lose intensity. By the time the system approached the southeastern coast of Taiwan on Friday, those winds had fallen to 155 kilometres per hour. Despite the drop in speed, the storm remained a dominant force, covering a radius of roughly 320 kilometres that spanned most of the island.

The storm’s path traces a clear line of disruption across the western Pacific. It first crossed several Pacific islands earlier in the month, prompting a federal disaster declaration in Guam. From there, it tracked toward Asia, striking the northern Philippines on Friday. The coast guard restricted maritime traffic off several northern towns, and aviation officials closed the main domestic airport in Basco, the capital of Batanes province. Two local flights were cancelled there, and workers boarded up airport windows as a safety measure.

In southwestern Japan, the typhoon has already left a mark. The Okinawa prefecture government reported that a woman in her 70s suffered a broken leg in strong winds on Miyako island. On Ishigaki island, nearly 2,000 homes lost power. Dozens of flights to and from Miyako, Ishigaki, and Okinawa were scrapped. The system is forecast to reach Japan’s southern mainland on Monday.

In Taiwan, the impact was immediate and widespread. The Transport Ministry cancelled all 262 domestic flights and 669 international flights. Schools and offices shut their doors, and the Central Weather Administration advised coastal residents to avoid driving and stay away from outdoor activities. Although high-speed rail on the western coast and Taipei’s subway system continued to operate, the capital experienced only light showers and gusty winds.

The human cost of the storm is mounting. The fire department confirmed one death on Thursday in Liuqiu, a small island off the southeastern coast, where a person was swept away by waves. Ninety-four others sustained injuries. The government reported that more than 2,600 people were evacuated from vulnerable mountainous areas. In the northern Philippines, nearly 200 residents in Cagayan province moved to safer ground, with almost 100 taking shelter in government-run emergency facilities.

Experts project the storm’s heaviest impact on Taiwan will continue through Saturday. The system will then move past the northeastern tip of the island and turn north. For now, the focus remains on the immediate logistics of managing the weather as it shifts from the Philippines to Taiwan and finally toward the Japanese archipelago.