Typhoon Champi has wreaked havoc across East Asia, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Friday as it approached Taiwan's north-eastern coast. The storm, which has already claimed one life, is part of a series of intense weather events fueled by a Super El Niño.
As Champi neared Taiwan, schools and offices were shuttered, and authorities reported that 171 people had been injured. The storm also forced the evacuation of 1,000 residents. Despite uncertainty over whether Champi will make landfall, the storm is expected to unleash up to 90cm (35 inches) of rain and powerful winds until Saturday.
On Friday afternoon, Champi's wind gusts reached 191 km/h (119 mph). The storm is projected to skirt Taiwan's north-eastern tip and the Okinawa islands in southern Japan, before lingering off China's eastern coast. It is then expected to veer north-east towards Japan's main island.
Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan have predicted that the storm's eye will likely pass without making landfall in Taiwan. However, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration cautioned that landfall cannot be entirely ruled out, especially if the storm's path becomes erratic.
Rainfall is anticipated to peak on Saturday morning, continuing to lash Taiwan until the evening. Authorities have urged residents to avoid coastal and mountainous areas. Nearly all of Taiwan's 22 counties and cities experienced a "typhoon holiday" on Friday, with work and classes suspended. The country's $5 trillion stock exchange also closed due to the severe weather. Only Kinmen county, an archipelago west of Taiwan's main island, maintained normal activities.
In Japan, the storm has caused power outages in approximately 8,400 households in Okinawa prefecture. Over 160 flights have been canceled across four Japanese airlines. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, heavy rains and winds have battered the Batanes island chain, located south of Taiwan. Images on social media depicted waves crashing into coastal villages and roads rendered impassable, though no casualties have been reported.
Earlier this week, Champi was the planet's strongest storm of the year, reaching a maximum sustained wind speed of 185 mph (298 km/h) over the Philippine Sea, akin to a Category 5 hurricane. Although it has since weakened, the storm remains formidable as it continues its path.
This typhoon season is proving to be one of the most active in recent years. The surge in storm activity is attributed to an unusually strong El Niño, a natural phenomenon that periodically affects the Pacific Ocean, leading to extreme weather conditions such as droughts and typhoons.
