Taiwan shuts down ahead of Typhoon Champi, hundreds of flights cancelled

TAIPEI: Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday (Oct 23) ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Champi, which is forecast to bring strong winds and torrential rain, though the storm is weakening and is not expected to make direct landfall on the island.

At one point a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, Champi was still packing gusts of around 191 kmh near its centre, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The storm was about 330km east of Taiwan's southern tip, the CWA said. The storm's forecast track shows it will pass just off northeastern Taiwan, turn north toward the Chinese coast and eventually move into southern Japan.

The administration said its radius was around 320km, large enough to cover most of Taiwan, and weather experts said its impact could last nearly two days.

Taiwan's financial markets will also close for Friday, while only the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, which sit next to the Chinese coast, will open schools and offices as normal.

The transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights were cancelled for Friday, along with more than 350 international ones.

In the capital Taipei, there were squally showers, but public transport, including the subway, was operating as usual, albeit with reduced service.

Taiwan is generally very well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low. Although more common in summer, the storms can strike in autumn too.

The typhoon is forecast to first pass over Japan's westernmost inhabited island, Yonaguni, in Okinawa Prefecture.