YILAN, Taiwan, Oct 23 — Almost all of Taiwan shut down today ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Champi, which is forecast to bring strong winds and torrential rain. Although the storm is weakening, it could still make direct landfall on the island.
Once a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, Champi was still packing gusts of around 191 kph near its centre, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA).
The storm was about 320 km east of Taiwan's southern tip, the CWA said. Its forecast track showed it passing just off northeastern Taiwan before turning north towards the Chinese coast and eventually moving into southern Japan.
One person was killed and 94 injured in Taiwan, where the government said almost 1,300 people had been evacuated from mountainous areas.
CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng told Reuters that landfall could not be ruled out if the storm "stalls, loops, or wobbles from side to side" as it approaches Taiwan.
"The storm's wind radius is quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years," Liu said. "If the storm slows down, the strong winds will affect Taiwan for longer."
Residents in coastal towns received mobile phone alerts warning of gusts exceeding 150 kph and urging them to seek immediate shelter.
Nearly a metre of rain was forecast for northern mountainous areas, including those around Taipei.
In the northeastern county of Yilan, where strong winds and heavy showers were intensifying and the typhoon was forecast to pass close by later today, authorities distributed sandbags and placed amphibious vehicles and inflatable rescue boats on standby.
"When necessary, the military will come in to help people, including using amphibious vehicles for evacuations or disaster relief," said Lee Ming-chen, head of the port town of Suao, which has suffered severe flooding during previous typhoons.
Huge wind radius
Taiwanese forecasters said the storm had a radius of around 320 km, large enough to cover most of Taiwan, while weather experts warned its impact could last nearly two days.
Taiwan's financial markets also closed today, while schools and offices were set to operate as normal only on the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, located near the Chinese coast.
The transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights scheduled for Friday had been cancelled, along with 669 international flights. The north-south high-speed rail service continued to operate as usual.
In the capital, Taipei, squally showers swept through the city, but public transport, including the subway, continued operating, albeit with reduced services.
Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, helping to keep casualties low. Although more common in summer, the storms can also strike in autumn.
The typhoon is forecast to first pass over Japan's westernmost inhabited island, Yonaguni, in Okinawa Prefecture.
