Taiwan is bracing for the worst effects of Typhoon Champi on Saturday, as powerful winds and heavy rains approach the island. On Friday, hundreds of flights across the East Asia region were cancelled due to the storm's proximity to Taiwan's north-east coast. Schools and offices in Taiwan were closed in anticipation of the typhoon's impact.
Storm Details
While it remains uncertain if Champi will make landfall, forecasts predict it will bring up to 90 cm (35 in) of rain and strong winds to the north-east until Saturday. Tragically, one person has died after being swept away by waves, and authorities reported 171 injuries and the evacuation of 1,000 people.
Champi is part of a series of intense typhoons fueled by a Super El Niño, which has been heating the Pacific Ocean. Earlier this week, it was recorded as the strongest storm of the year, with wind gusts reaching 191 km/h (119 mph).
Path of the Typhoon
After passing Taiwan's north-eastern tip and the Okinawa islands in southern Japan, Champi is expected to linger over the waters off China's eastern coast before curving north-east towards Japan's main island. Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan forecast that the eye of the storm may pass without making landfall in Taiwan. However, a forecaster from Taiwan's Central Weather Administration cautioned that they could not completely rule out this possibility, especially if the storm "stalls, loops or wobbles from side to side" as it approaches.
