In brief
Typhoon Champi swept across Taiwan’s coast, forcing flight cancellations, school closures, and the shutdown of the Taiwan Stock Exchange. One person lost their life, 171 were injured, and 1,000 were evacuated as 90cm of rain and fierce winds hammered the region. The storm, supercharged by a strong El Niño, is part of an unusually busy typhoon season, with many flights across East Asia cancelled. Taiwan’s authorities urged residents to stay inland, and nearby Japan and the Philippines also felt the impact.
Typhoon Champi sweeps Taiwan. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, schools shut, and the stock exchange went dark.
The storm dumped up to 90cm (35in) of rain and blasted winds of 191km/h (119mph) across the north‑east coast.
Authorities reported one death, 171 injuries and 1,000 people evacuated. The waves even swept a person away.
Champi, fueled by a strong El Niño, is the most powerful storm in the Pacific this year, prompting a "typhoon holiday" that shut work and classes in 21 of 22 Taiwanese counties.
The storm also affected Japan’s Okinawa and Batanes in the Philippines, causing airports to cancel flights and power cuts in Okinawa.
With the Pacific’s heating sea surface, the region is seeing an unprecedented typhoon season – Japan logged 30 storms for the first time since 2013.
Stay away from coasts and mountains, and keep up with real‑time alerts on SnapScope for the latest updates.
