Typhoon Champi has made landfall in Taiwan, resulting in one death and at least 350 injuries. The storm brought destructive winds to the island, prompting authorities to urge residents to shelter in place as the system passed through the northeast.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported that the typhoon caused significant disruption across the region. Trees were toppled, schools and shops were closed, and power was cut to thousands of households. More than 4,300 people were forced to evacuate their homes to avoid the rising danger.
Widespread Damage and Evacuations
Champi swept past the island’s northeastern coast on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction. The storm’s intensity forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the surrounding area. The CWA warned that conditions would remain windy and stormy through the following morning.
“From tonight through tomorrow morning conditions will be very windy and stormy everywhere,” CWA forecaster Lin Ping-yu said during a briefing. “Please try to stay indoors.”
While Champi was briefly classified as a super typhoon with winds reaching nearly 300 kilometers per hour, it has since weakened. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) as the storm moved away from Taiwan.
Heavy Rain and Moving Toward Japan
Forecasters indicate that the worst impacts are yet to come. The CWA projected that Champi could drop up to 900 millimeters (35 inches) of rain between Thursday and Saturday. The northeastern part of the island is expected to bear the brunt of the precipitation. Yilan County alone recorded more than 400 millimeters of rainfall on Friday.
CWA forecaster Lu Kuo-chen noted that the typhoon might slow down near the island’s northeastern tip, which could prolong the duration of its impact. This stagnation would allow the heavy rains and strong winds to persist over already saturated ground.
As Champi moves away from Taiwan, it is heading toward China and Japan. In Japan’s Okinawa islands, the Okinawa Electric Power Company reported that about 8,400 households were without power on Friday afternoon. The storm is forecast to hover near Okinawa before making its way toward China’s eastern coast and eventually turning northeast toward mainland Japan.
El Nino Intensifies Pacific Storm Season
Champi is the latest storm in a Pacific typhoon season that has been supercharged by El Nino. This natural climate cycle warms the tropical Pacific and often leads to more intense weather patterns. The United Nations stated on Wednesday that El Nino is heading off the charts in terms of strength.
“The current El Nino event could be unprecedented in strength. Literally off the monitoring charts that we have used for the past four decades,” said Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization. The phenomenon is expected to peak in December, with its effects likely to last into 2027 and beyond.
Source: Al Jazeera
