Taiwan halts activities as weakening Typhoon Champi approaches

Taiwan shut down on Friday, Oct 23, 2026, as the weakening Typhoon Champi loomed over the island. The storm, once a super‑typhoon and among the strongest Pacific cyclones this year, still generated gusts of about 191 kph (119 mph) near its centre, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). At the time of the shutdown, Champi was located roughly 330 km (205 miles) east of Taiwan’s southern tip and had a radius of about 320 km (200 miles), large enough to blanket most of the country. Experts warned that the typhoon’s effects – strong winds and torrential rain – could last close to two days, even though the system was weakening and not expected to make direct landfall. The CWA’s forecast track shows Champi skirting just off northeastern Taiwan, turning north toward the Chinese coast before moving into southern Japan, where it is expected to pass over Yonaguni island in Okinawa Prefecture. All 262 domestic flights and more than 350 international flights were cancelled for the day, the Transport Ministry said. Taiwan’s financial markets also closed on Friday, while the Kinmen islands, which lie next to the Chinese coast, kept schools and offices open as usual. A high wave struck Keelung in northern Taiwan on Thursday, illustrating the storm’s immediate coastal impact. Taiwan’s long‑standing disaster‑management plans and strict building codes keep casualty numbers low, even as typhoons can occur in autumn as well as summer.## Context Typhoons regularly threaten Taiwan because the island sits in the western Pacific’s main storm corridor. The country’s preparedness measures, such as early closures of schools, markets and flights, aim to minimise damage and protect lives.