Taiwan: Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday ahead of Typhoon Champi, which is forecast to bring strong winds and torrential rain. The storm is weakening and is not expected to make direct landfall on the island.
The transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights scheduled for Friday had been cancelled, along with more than 350 international services. Schools, offices and shops were closed across the island, except in Kinmen.
Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, helping keep casualties low. Although such storms are more common in summer, they can also strike in autumn, bringing strong winds and torrential rain.
Champi, which was previously classified as a super typhoon and was among the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, was still producing gusts of around 191 kph near its centre, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA).
The administration said the storm had a radius of around 320 km, large enough to cover most of Taiwan. Weather experts warned that its impact could last nearly two days.
Champi was about 330 km east of Taiwan’s southern tip, the CWA said. Its forecast track showed it passing just off northeastern Taiwan before turning north towards the Chinese coast and eventually moving into southern Japan.