Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, killing one person and injuring more than 500, while powerful winds and torrential rain brought down trees, disrupted flights and knocked out electricity to thousands of homes.The storm has weakened and is heading north towards the Chinese coast, according to Reuters.Champi, which was previously classified as a super typhoon and was among the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, was packing gusts of around 126 kmph near its centre, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) said.The storm was about 150 km east of Taiwan on Saturday after passing close to the island’s northeastern coast in the early hours. Its forecast track showed it turning north towards the Chinese coast before eventually moving towards southern Japan.
One dead, over 500 injured as strong winds batter Taiwan
Taiwan’s fire department said the death toll remained at one, after a man was swept away by waves on Liuqiu Island. A further 527 people were injured amid strong winds and heavy rainfall.Visuals from Taiwan showed gargantuan waves crashing ashore as the typhoon approached.Other footage captured a woman struggling against powerful gusts, while strong winds continued to affect parts of the island.The storm also caused widespread power disruptions. Taipower, Taiwan’s state-owned electricity company, said more than 167,000 homes had lost electricity at one point, although power had been restored to most affected households.Transport services were also disrupted, with the transport ministry reporting 242 flight cancellations on Saturday. The figure was significantly lower than Friday, when cancellations had approached 1,000.In Taipei, the island’s capital, trees were brought down by the winds, while intermittent squally rain showers continued.Authorities in parts of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, extended office and school closures for a second day on Saturday.
Taiwan braces for storm’s impact as it moves north
Taiwan had largely shut down on Friday as Champi approached, with schools, offices and financial markets closing and hundreds of flights grounded. Authorities had also evacuated more than 2,600 people from vulnerable mountainous areas.The CWA had warned that the storm’s large wind radius could expose much of Taiwan to strong winds for an extended period. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng told Reuters on Friday that a direct landfall could not be ruled out if the storm changed direction or slowed down near the island.“The storm’s wind radius is quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years,” Liu said. “If the storm slows down, the strong winds will affect Taiwan for longer.”The storm had earlier reached maximum sustained winds of 298 kmph before weakening as it approached Taiwan, according to the news agency Associated Press.Its centre was forecast to remain offshore as it passed the island’s northeastern tip and turned towards Japan’s southwestern islands.Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, which helps keep casualties low. Although such storms are more common during summer, they can also strike in autumn.Champi’s forecast path now takes it north towards the Chinese coast, with the storm expected to eventually move towards southern Japan.
