A typhoon named Champi is bearing down on Taiwan, the island's skies emptied of nearly a thousand flights in a single day as the storm reshapes ordinary life. One person has already been lost to the waves off the small island of Liuqiu, and dozens more have been hurt in the rain and wind. Behind the disruption lies a season that has pushed Japan's count of typhoons to a level not seen since 2013, a reminder that warming seas and a strong El Niño are shaping how often the Pacific now answers with its fiercest weather. For the people in its path, the question is less about the storm's name than
Hundreds of Flights Cancelled as Typhoon Champi Bears Down on Taiwan, Japan and East Asia
At least one person died after being swept away by waves in Liuqiu, 94 were injured, and more than 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Taiwan.
Close to 1,000 cancellations on a single day
Mark
Nearly a thousand flights cancelled in one day. Is that the main story here?
Mimi
It's the most visible part. But the person swept away at Liuqiu and the 94 injuries show the harm began before landfall.
Luke
Worth noting how those injuries are described: many from traffic accidents and falls. That's authorities' characterisation, and we don't have a full breakdown.
Mark
What about the dam in Hualien?
Mimi
Five million metric tons of water behind a landslide dam, per the Premier. Officials asked people downstream to evacuate.
Luke
And it's a risk, not a prediction. The reporting says it could breach, not that it will.
Mark
Why does the 30th typhoon in Japan matter?
Mimi
It's the most since 2013, and the Philippines has eight names left. The season is crowded.
Luke
The El Niño explanation is the source's framing. It doesn't say how much of this season it accounts for, so I'd hold that loosely.
Mark
So what do we watch?
Mimi
The dam, the exit from Taiwan on the 24th and 25th, then Japan.
Der Puls
- Taiwan has grounded all 262 domestic flights and more than 660 international ones, stranding travelers across a single day.
- Rain of up to 900mm threatens northern and northeastern mountains, with a landslide dam in Hualien holding five million metric tons of water.
- Officials are urging downstream residents to evacuate and warning everyone to stay away from mountains, creeks and beaches even after the storm passes.
- Japan's airlines have cancelled over 100 flights, leaving at least 11,000 passengers in limbo as Champi turns toward Okinawa and southern Japan.
A typhoon named Champi is bearing down on Taiwan, the island's skies emptied of nearly a thousand flights in a single day as the storm reshapes ordinary life. One person has already been lost to the waves off the small island of Liuqiu, and dozens more have been hurt in the rain and wind. Behind the disruption lies a season that has pushed Japan's count of typhoons to a level not seen since 2013, a reminder that warming seas and a strong El Niño are shaping how often the Pacific now answers with its fiercest weather. For the people in its path, the question is less about the storm's name than about whether the mountains, rivers and dams hold through the night.
Taiwan's authorities have grounded every domestic flight scheduled for Friday, 262 in all, along with more than 660 international ones. Railways and ferries have stopped, and some highways are closed as Typhoon Champi moves northwest toward the island.
The storm has already claimed a life. One person was swept away by waves on Liuqiu, a small coral island to the southwest, and 94 people have been injured, many in traffic accidents and falls. More than 1,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes.
The Central Weather Administration expects the storm's wide circle to cover most of Taiwan on Friday, with mountainous northern and northeastern areas possibly receiving up to 900mm of rain. Peak winds and rainfall are expected through the night and into Saturday, before the typhoon slowly leaves on the 24th and 25th.
The greatest worry is in Hualien, where the Wanli Creek landslide dam holds back five million metric tons of water. Officials have asked downstream residents to leave, and warned that people should keep away from mountains, creeks and beaches even after Champi has gone.
The disruption reaches Japan too, where more than 100 domestic flights have been cancelled, affecting at least 11,000 passengers. Champi will then turn toward Okinawa and southern Japan, and this is Japan's 30th typhoon of the year, the most since 2013, a sign of an unusually active season.
Taiwan's authorities have grounded every domestic flight scheduled for Friday, 262 in all, along with more than 660 international ones, according to local media. That is close to 1,000 cancellations on a single day, and it comes as Typhoon Champi moves northwest toward the island. Railway and ferry services have also been suspended, and some highways have been closed.
The storm has already cost lives and caused injuries. Taiwan's disaster authorities said at a press briefing that one person died the day before after being swept away by waves in Liuqiu, a small coral island southwest of the main island. The fire department says 94 people have been injured, many of them in traffic accidents and falls. The government says more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.
The Central Weather Administration says Champi's 320-kilometre radius will cover most of Taiwan on Friday. Its outer rainbands were already reaching the island in the morning, with torrential rain and fierce gusts forecast. Taiwanese reports say mountainous areas in the north and northeast could see up to 900mm (35 inches) of rain, with gusts reaching level 12, the top of the Beaufort scale. Peak impact is expected to last through the night.
CWA head Lu Kuo-chen said that once it makes landfall, the storm will envelop the entire island, with winds strongest from Friday through Saturday. He said it would slowly leave Taiwan on the 24th and 25th. By Saturday afternoon, the typhoon is expected to swerve away from China's eastern coast and head toward southern Japan.
One specific hazard worries officials in Hualien, on the east coast. The Wanli Creek landslide dam was holding five million metric tons of water as of Thursday morning, according to Premier Cho Jung-Tai, and it could breach in the storm. National Fire Agency Chief Secretary Cheng Chih Chiang asked local authorities on the eastern coast to evacuate residents living downstream. After an emergency briefing, Cho urged the public to avoid all high-risk zones, and Cheng said people should stay away from mountains, creeks and beaches even after Champi leaves.
Disruption extends beyond Taiwan. Taiwan's cancellations include about 125 flights, mostly domestic services linking the main island to smaller islands, and national parks and tourist attractions have announced closures. In Japan, Japan Airlines and ANA have cancelled more than 100 flights, also mostly domestic, between Thursday and Sunday, affecting an estimated 11,000 passengers at least. The typhoon is expected to pass Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa islands before heading toward eastern China and the South Korean island of Jeju over the weekend.
The season itself is unusual. Champi is Japan's 30th typhoon of the year, the first time the country has counted that many since 2013. In the Philippines, where the storm is called Rosal, names follow alphabetical order, leaving eight more before the alphabet runs out. Exhausting the list in one year is rare but not unheard of. The frequency is attributed to an unusually strong El Niño, the naturally occurring Pacific phenomenon that recurs every few years and can bring extremes from drought to typhoons. Scientists expect more typhoons to form this year.
For now, attention stays on Taiwan through the weekend, particularly the Hualien dam, and then on Japan as Champi turns toward it late Saturday.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
After it makes landfall, it will envelop the entire Taiwan. It will slowly leave Taiwan on the 24th and the 25th.— Lu Kuo-chen, head of Taiwan's Central Weather Administration
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