Typhoon Champi Grounds Hundreds of Flights and Shuts Schools as It Passes Taiwan

Taiwan closed schools and offices and grounded hundreds of flights on Friday as Typhoon Champi passed close to the island, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain.

The storm reached maximum sustained winds of 298 kilometres per hour earlier this week. It has since weakened to 155 kilometres per hour as it approached Taiwan from the southeast. Forecasts show its centre staying offshore as it moves past the island's northeastern tip and then turns north toward Japan's southwestern islands.

One person died on Thursday after being swept away by waves in Liuqiu, a small island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan's main island, the fire department said. Ninety-four others were injured in the storm. The government said more than 2,600 people have been evacuated from vulnerable mountainous areas.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration urged people in coastal areas to stay away from outdoor activities and avoid driving, and to watch for falling objects.

The Transport Ministry said all 262 domestic flights and 669 international flights were cancelled. High-speed rail services along the western coast continued to run normally.

Champi has a radius of around 320 kilometres, wide enough to cover most of Taiwan. Even so, transport services in the capital, Taipei, including the subway, remained open, and the city saw only light showers and gusty winds. Experts expect the storm's greatest impact on Taiwan to last through Saturday, with the system reaching Japan's southern mainland on Monday.

In southwestern Japan, the typhoon has injured one person, disrupted flights and cut power. The Okinawa prefecture government said a woman in her 70s broke a leg in the strong wind on Miyako island. On Ishigaki island, nearly 2,000 homes lost electricity. Dozens of flights to and from islands including Miyako, Ishigaki and Okinawa have been cancelled.

The storm also affected the northern Philippines. On Friday the coast guard barred ships and ferries from sailing in increasingly rough waters off several northern towns and cities. The main domestic airport in Basco, the capital of Batanes province, was closed and two local flights were cancelled, aviation officials said. Windows at the airport were boarded up as a precaution.

In Cagayan province, nearly 200 people moved to safer ground, including almost 100 who went to government-run emergency shelters. Provincial officials said classes at all levels were suspended in the island town of Calayan because of the typhoon.

Earlier this month, Champi passed over several Pacific islands, including Guam, where a federal disaster area was declared.