Japan braces for 30th named storm this year as Typhoon Champi heads for Okinawa

Typhoon Champi is moving in from the Pacific Ocean toward Okinawa Prefecture and the south of the country in the coming days, prompting authorities to urge people to be on alert.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) forecast on Wednesday that the typhoon, the country’s 30th named storm of the year — which is known in Japan as taifū No. 30 — will reach the Sakishima Islands of Okinawa between Friday and Saturday.

The JMA predicted that Typhoon Champi will then make its way toward western Japan and is due to affect parts of Kyushu from the weekend onward.

As of Wednesday, the JMA said Typhoon Champi was tracking northwest toward Japan at a speed of 25 kph from a position east of the Philippines.

The typhoon could bring extreme weather conditions, with maximum wind speeds of up to 216 kph. It has been categorized as a super typhoon — the strongest of the agency’s five-level system.

Compared to a tropical storm, a typhoon is a more intense weather event and brings wind speeds of 119 kph or higher, according to the JMA. Typhoon Champi is predicted to be particularly severe since it is at the upper end of the scale.

Okinawa is expected to experience the brunt of Typhoon Champi on Friday, with the JMA forecast showing that the center of the typhoon could reach approximately 160 kilometers from the coast of Okinawa.

Forecasters are also cautioning people to be wary of heavy rain and rough sea conditions, including high tides, particularly around Okinawa.

Reaching as many as 30 named storms in one year is rare for Japan. There are an average of 25 in the country each year — meaning 2026 will have already seen 20% more than the average.

There have already been flight cancellations because of Typhoon Champi. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways announced Wednesday that a number of flights scheduled to and from airports in southern Japan would not be running over the next few days.

Events in Okinawa have also been canceled as the typhoon approaches. The 50th Okinawa Industrial Festival, which was to take place from Friday to Sunday and was expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors, has been called off.