Typhoon Champi lashes Taiwan, cancels hundreds of flights and closes stock exchange

Storm kills one, injures 171, and forces evacuations as it skirts the island's north-east coast

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources5 outlets

Typhoon Champi, the strongest storm of the year so far, shut schools, offices and Taiwan's stock exchange on Friday as it swept near the island's north-east coast, cancelling hundreds of flights across the region and leaving one person dead.

Schools and offices across nearly all of Taiwan's 22 counties and cities were closed on Friday as Typhoon Champi approached, with authorities urging residents to stay away from coasts and mountains. The storm has so far killed one person, who was swept away by waves, and injured 171 others, with about 1,000 people evacuated, authorities said.

Champi was packing wind gusts of 191km/h (119mph) on Friday afternoon. At its peak earlier this week, the storm reached maximum sustained wind speeds of 185mph (298km/h) over the Philippine Sea, the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, making it the planet's strongest storm of the year so far.

While weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan forecast that the eye of the storm is expected to pass without making landfall, a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Administration told Reuters that this could not be ruled out completely, especially if the storm "stalls, loops or wobbles from side to side" as it approaches.

The storm is expected to bring up to 90cm (35in) of rain and strong winds to Taiwan's north-east until Saturday. Rainfall is forecast to peak on Saturday morning and continue into the evening, the Central Weather Administration said.

Taiwan's $5tn stock exchange was closed on Friday because of the severe weather. Only Kinmen county, an archipelago west of Taiwan's main island, continued work and classes as usual.

In Japan, power cuts affected nearly 8,400 households in the southern Okinawa prefecture, according to the local power company. More than 160 flights have been cancelled across four Japanese airlines.

The storm also stirred heavy rains and winds in Batanes, a Philippine island chain south of Taiwan, where local government Facebook posts showed waves crashing into seaside villages and roads closed to traffic. There were no immediate reports of casualties there.

Champi is the latest in a string of intense typhoons driven by an unusually strong El Niño, a naturally occurring phenomenon that heats the Pacific Ocean and fuels storms. It is Japan's 30th typhoon of the year, the first time since 2013 the country has seen so many storms.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Typhoon Champi has already disrupted travel and daily life across East Asia, with hundreds of flights cancelled and a major stock exchange closed.
The storm's extreme intensity, tied to a strong El Niño, highlights the growing impact of climate patterns on storm frequency and severity in the region.
Continued heavy rainfall poses risk of flooding and landslides in Taiwan, Okinawa, and parts of China and Japan over the coming days.

Background

Typhoon Champi formed over the Philippine Sea and rapidly intensified earlier this week, becoming the strongest storm globally in 2026 so far. It was initially classified as a "super typhoon" before weakening slightly. The storm is moving through a region that is experiencing one of its most active typhoon seasons in years, with Japan seeing 30 storms in 2026, a count not reached since 2013. This activity is linked to an unusually strong El Niño event in the Pacific, which typically increases ocean temperatures and can fuel stronger and more frequent tropical cyclones.

Key Perspectives

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration: The agency is monitoring the storm closely, warning that while landfall is not certain, the storm's behavior could be unpredictable, with potential stalls or wobbles that might bring it ashore. They have urged residents to avoid coastal and mountainous areas. Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan: These agencies currently forecast the eye will pass without making landfall, offering some relief but still warning of severe rain and wind. Affected residents and travelers: Hundreds of thousands face power outages, cancelled flights, and evacuation orders. The closure of schools and offices has disrupted daily routines, and the death of one person underscores the storm's danger.

What to Watch

Whether Champi makes landfall in Taiwan or shifts course to pass over the Okinawa islands and Japan's main island as predicted.
The peak rainfall in Taiwan on Saturday morning and the potential for flash flooding and landslides.
Further flight and power disruptions across Japan, particularly in Okinawa, as the storm moves north-east.

Sources

Taiwan shuts down and grounds flights ahead of Typhoon Champi · Just In
Taiwan braces as El Nino-supercharged Typhoon Champi approaches island · DW English
Taiwan: Deadly Typhoon Champi brings travel chaos and school closures · Euronews
Hundreds of flights cancelled as Typhoon Champi shuts Taiwan · BBC News
Taiwan shuts down as Typhoon Champi approaches · Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Reports differTyphoon Champi caused 171 injuries in Taiwan.Euronews: “One person was killed after being swept away by waves on Liuqiu island on Thursday, while 94 others were injured .”
Reports differAbout 1,000 people were evacuated.Just In: “One person was killed and 171 were injured in Taiwan, where the government said 2,639 people had been evacuated from mountainous areas.”
SupportedHundreds of flights were cancelled across the region because of Champi.BBC News: “Hundreds of flights in the East Asia region were cancelled on Friday as powerful Typhoon Champi roared close to Taiwan's north-east coast.”
SupportedTaiwan's stock exchange closed on Friday because of severe weather.BBC News: “Taiwan's $5tn (£3.7tn) stock exchange was also closed on Friday because of the severe weather.”
SupportedChampi killed one person who was swept away by waves.BBC News: “One person died after being swept away by waves, authorities said.”
SupportedChampi was the planet's strongest storm of the year so far, reaching 185mph (298km/h) sustained winds at its peak earlier in the week.BBC News: “Typhoon Champi became the strongest storm of the year earlier this week, when it attained a maximum sustained wind speed of 185mph (298km/h) as it moved over the Philippine Sea”
Partly supportedThe storm was forecast to bring up to 90cm of rain to Taiwan's north-east until Saturday.BBC News: “While it is uncertain if it will make landfall, the storm was forecast to bring 90cm (35in) of rain and strong winds to the north-east until Saturday.”
SupportedA Taiwan Central Weather Administration forecaster told Reuters landfall could not be ruled out if the storm “stalls, loops or wobbles from side to side”.BBC News: “However, a forecaster in Taiwan's Central Weather Administration told Reuters that they could not rule this out completely - especially if the storm "stalls, loops or wobbles from side to side" as it approaches.”
SupportedSchools and offices in nearly all of Taiwan's 22 counties and cities were closed on Friday.BBC News: “Work and classes were suspended in nearly all of Taiwan's 22 counties and cities on Friday”
SupportedChampi was packing wind gusts of 191km/h (119mph) on Friday afternoon.BBC News: “On Friday afternoon, Champi was packing wind gusts of 191km/h (119mph) .”
SupportedJapan's Okinawa prefecture had power cuts affecting nearly 8,400 households.BBC News: “In Japan, power cuts were reported in nearly 8,400 households in the southern Okinawa prefecture, according to the local power company.”
SupportedChampi was Japan's 30th typhoon of the year, the first time since 2013 the country had seen so many storms.BBC News: “Champi is Japan's 30th typhoon of the year - making this the first time since 2013 that the country has seen so many storms.”