Typhoon Champi brings destructive-wind warnings and widespread disruption to Taiwan
Taiwan urged residents to shelter on Friday as Champi brought dangerous winds, a death, injuries, evacuations and extensive travel disruption.
Typhoon Champi battered Taiwan on Friday, 23 October, prompting warnings of destructive winds and orders to shelter as authorities reported a death, injuries and evacuations. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and most schools and shops shut while forecasters watched whether the storm would make landfall.
One person died after being swept away by waves, authorities said, according to the BBC. The BBC reported 171 injuries. A later AFP report carried by Phys.org said at least 350 people had been injured; the reports give different figures at different points in the storm.
Evacuations, power cuts and grounded flights
The reported evacuation figures also differ. AFP said more than 4,300 people had left their homes ahead of the storm. ABC News, citing the government, reported 2,639 evacuations from mountainous areas, while the BBC put its reported figure at 1,000. The reports do not establish a common area and time period for those counts.
More than 77,000 homes had lost electricity, though power had been restored to most by the time of ABC's report, according to figures it attributed to Taipower. ABC said the transport ministry reported the cancellation of all 262 domestic flights and 717 international flights scheduled for Friday.
Work and classes were suspended in nearly all of Taiwan's 22 counties and cities, with Kinmen county the exception, the BBC reported. Taiwan's stock exchange also closed because of the severe weather. The shutdowns affected daily travel and business across the island as Champi approached.
Champi's track and wind warning
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration put Champi about 220 kilometres east of the island, with gusts of about 191 kilometres per hour near its centre, according to ABC. Its forecast track took the storm past northeastern Taiwan before a turn north toward the Chinese coast and then east toward southern Japan.
The storm's eye was forecast to pass without making landfall, the BBC reported, but a Central Weather Administration forecaster told Reuters that a stall or shift could still bring it ashore. ABC quoted a forecaster warning that a slower-moving storm could keep strong winds over Taiwan for longer.
As Champi buffeted northern Taiwan on Friday night, government text messages warned of ‘destructive winds’ and urged people to take shelter immediately, AFP reported. Central Weather Administration forecaster Ling Ping-yu warned of windy, stormy conditions through the night and into Saturday morning and urged residents to stay indoors.
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Sources and context
- Taiwan warns of 'destructive winds' as Typhoon Champi batters islandPhys.org, carrying AFP reporting
- Typhoon Champi: Hundreds of flights cancelled as storm shuts TaiwanBBC News
- Taiwan shuts down and grounds flights ahead of Typhoon ChampiABC News Australia
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.