The key facts
- Typhoon Champi will pass along Taiwan's northeastern coast on Friday and Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 213 km/h
- More than 150 flights cancelled in Taiwan and more than 110 in Japan; over 23,000 troops in Taiwan are ready for rescue operations
- China has declared a level-four (lowest) flood response in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian
Taiwan prepares for the storm's impact
Powerful Typhoon Champi is moving toward Taiwan, prompting the cancellation of dozens of flights and warnings for residents to prepare for heavy rain, wind and giant waves. According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA), the typhoon will pass along the island's northeastern coast on Friday and Saturday before moving on toward China and Japan. According to the latest data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, maximum sustained wind speeds are 213 km/h. Champi was previously classified as a super typhoon with winds of nearly 300 km/h, but has since weakened.
Expected impacts
From Thursday to Saturday, mountainous areas of northern and northeastern Taiwan could receive up to 900 mm of rainfall, and wave heights could exceed six metres. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te urged everyone on Facebook to remain vigilant and prepare for strong winds and rain. More than 23,000 troops have been put on standby to assist with rescue operations; over 150 domestic and international flights have been cancelled for Thursday. CWA forecaster Jason Cheng told AFP that the typhoon will have its most significant impact from Friday until the first half of Saturday. According to him, the radius of storm-force winds is 320 km, but the storm's area is smaller than that of the previous typhoon, Bavi.
China and Japan take measures
Millions of residents of eastern China are preparing for heavy rains and flash floods. China's Ministry of Water Resources announced on Thursday a level-four — the lowest in the hierarchy — emergency response to flooding in Shanghai and the coastal provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian. The ministry warned that a period of significant rainfall is possible from Friday to Sunday, including heavy and torrential rain across most of Shanghai and eastern Zhejiang. Japan's two largest airlines have cancelled more than 110 flights from Thursday to Saturday.
Context: El Niño
Champi is yet another storm in a busy Pacific season, intensified by the El Niño phenomenon, which has caused unprecedented warming in the equatorial Pacific. The UN recently reported that El Niño is going beyond its usual patterns and that countries should urgently prepare for the worst-case scenario. The phenomenon is expected to peak in December, with its impacts on people lasting until 2027 and beyond. El Niño is the warm phase of a natural climate cycle that temporarily raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific and increases the risks of droughts and floods, exacerbating human-caused global warming.
