Typhoon Champi nears Taiwan: Schools, markets closed and mass evacuations underway

Most shops and schools across Taiwan remained closed on Friday (Oct 23) as Typhoon Champi approached the island, with hundreds of residents leaving their homes ahead of the powerful storm, news agency AFP reported. The typhoon is forecast to pass Taiwan's northeast before heading toward China and Japan, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations across the region. Authorities said at least one person died after being swept away by waves whipped up by the storm, while dozens of others were injured.

Champi briefly reached super typhoon strength over the Pacific but has since weakened. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, it is now carrying maximum sustained winds of 176 kilometres (109 miles) per hour.

Heavy rain, strong winds and high waves are expected on Friday (Oct 23) and Saturday (Oct 24). Thousands of military personnel are on standby to support rescue operations, and more than 1,200 people had been evacuated by Friday (Oct 23).

Central Weather Administration administrator Lu Kuo-chen told a briefing that the typhoon could slow as it nears Taiwan's northeastern tip, which would prolong its impact. He said strong winds and extremely heavy rain would continue into the first half of Saturday.

The forecaster expects up to 90 centimetres (35 inches) of rain between Thursday and Saturday, with the northeast likely to be worst affected.

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Work and classes were cancelled across almost the entire island, leaving streets largely empty as residents stayed indoors. Some businesses placed sandbags or metal barriers at their entrances to guard against flooding.

A 73-year-old farmer surnamed Tsai told AFP in New Taipei City that he feared his vegetables would be flooded and rot. Peter Chen, a 27-year-old convenience store worker, said he was worried about conditions on Friday night, when the typhoon's eye would be closest to the coast, and that his store might put out sandbags.

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Champi is the latest storm in a busy Pacific typhoon season intensified by the El Nino weather phenomenon, which has caused unprecedented warming in the equatorial Pacific. The United Nations said on Wednesday that the current El Nino is heading "off the charts" and urged countries to take urgent steps to prepare for the worst. El Nino is expected to peak in December, though its human impact is likely to extend into 2027 and beyond.

A natural climate cycle, El Nino temporarily raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific, altering weather patterns in ways that can heighten the risk of drought and flooding and worsen human-caused global warming.