Typhoon Champi disrupted life in Taiwan on Friday as it brought strong winds and surging waves to the island, causing at least one death and dozens of injuries, and forcing officials to cancel flights and close schools and businesses.
The storm was passing over Taiwan’s eastern waters on Friday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 90 knots, or more than 100 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center. It has weakened considerably since Wednesday, when it was moving east of the Philippines as the strongest storm of 2026, with sustained winds reaching nearly 185 m.p.h.
On land, wind gusts were clocked as fast as 118 m.p.h., while waves rose to 8 meters, or more than 26 feet, off Taiwan’s southeastern coast, according to the Central Weather Administration. Work and schools were suspended across the island on Friday, with further interruptions possible through Saturday.
A man died on Thursday after he was swept into the sea on an outlying island, the National Fire Agency said. More than 170 people were injured in traffic accidents and by trees and other objects blown by the storm, the agency said.
The Ministry of Transportation said more than 700 international flights and around 260 domestic flights were canceled on Friday.
Champi’s path was uncertain, with some forecast models predicting that it would continue toward China or turn northeast toward Japan.
The China Meteorological Administration warned of strong winds and up to three inches of rain along the eastern coast of Zhejiang province on Sunday. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued storm surge warnings for Okinawa, its closest prefecture to Taiwan.
The post Taiwan Shuts Down as Typhoon Champi Approaches appeared first on New York Times.
