Taiwan issues land warning as Typhoon Champi closes in, with flights cut ahead of the storm
Champi weakened slightly but still carried gusts of more than 227 kmh near its centre, and Taiwan's transport ministry said 125 flights were cancelled on…
Taiwan has issued a land warning as Typhoon Champi closes in, and flights have been cut ahead of the storm. The warning came on Thursday (Oct 22).
Storm weakens slightly but stays strong
Among the strongest storms to form over the Pacific this year, Champi had been classed as a super typhoon at one stage. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) in Taiwan reported that the storm eased a little on Thursday, though gusts exceeding 227 kmh were still blowing around its centre. The CWA said the storm was about 250km southeast of Yilan county in northeastern Taiwan.
Growing slightly to 320km, the typhoon's radius is now wide enough to blanket most of Taiwan, the administration said. Its effects could linger for close to two days, according to weather experts. Champi is due to be closest to Taiwan late on Friday, off the northeastern coast, before it turns north toward the seas off Shanghai. Its track then takes it toward the Chinese coast and on to southern Japan.
Waves, rain and cancelled flights
Mobile phone alerts about waves above 6m went out to coastal towns. Nearly 1m of total rainfall was expected in northern mountain areas, including hills near Taipei.
On Thursday, 125 flights were scrapped, most of them domestic, Taiwan's transport ministry said, adding that rail services had so far been left unaffected. No residents had so far been reported evacuated, according to the interior ministry. Casualties tend to stay low in Taiwan because the island is typically extremely well prepared for typhoons.
Japan also affected
Forecasts show that the typhoon will initially cross Yonaguni, which is the most westerly inhabited island of Japan and lies in Okinawa Prefecture. Between Thursday and Sunday, more than 100 flights, mostly domestic, have been called off by Japan Airlines, ANA and Skymark, upsetting the travel plans of over 11,000 passengers.
