Hundreds of flights across East Asia were cancelled on Friday as Typhoon Champi approached Taiwan’s north-east coast. Work and classes were suspended in nearly all of Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, and its stock exchange closed.
Authorities said one person died after being swept away by waves on Liuqiu island. The storm injured 171 people and forced 1,000 others to evacuate. Authorities urged people to stay away from coasts and mountains.
Champi had gusts of 191km/h on Friday afternoon. The storm was forecast to bring 90cm of rain to Taiwan’s north-east, with rainfall expected to peak on Saturday morning and continue until the evening, the Central Weather Administration said.
Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan expect the storm’s eye to pass Taiwan without making landfall, though a Taiwanese forecaster said landfall could not be ruled out. Champi is then expected to pass Taiwan’s north-eastern tip and Japan’s Okinawa islands before moving over waters off China’s eastern coast.
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