Typhoon Champi Halts Taiwan Trading and Cancels Hundreds of East Asia Flights
BBC News reports Typhoon Champi closed Taiwan's stock exchange and schools, cancelled 160-plus Japanese flights and cut power to about 8,400 Okinawa households.
The story in focus
BBC News reports Typhoon Champi forced hundreds of flight cancellations across East Asia on Friday, closed Taiwan's stock exchange and schools, cancelled over 160 flights across four Japanese airlines and cut power to nearly 8,400 households in Okinawa. Gusts reached 191km/h after the storm peaked as the year's strongest.
- BBC News reports Typhoon Champi packed wind gusts of 191km/h on Friday afternoon.
- Taiwan's stock exchange closed and work and classes were suspended in nearly all 22 counties and cities.
- More than 160 flights were cancelled across four Japanese airlines, and power cuts hit nearly 8,400 Okinawa households.
Flights and power disrupted across the region
Hundreds of flights in East Asia were cancelled on Friday as Typhoon Champi moved close to Taiwan's north-east coast, BBC News reported. In Japan, more than 160 flights were cancelled across four airlines, and the local power company reported outages affecting nearly 8,400 households in Okinawa prefecture.
The storm was forecast to bring up to 90cm (35in) of rain and strong winds to north-east Taiwan until Saturday, with rainfall peaking on Saturday morning, according to the Central Weather Administration. Taiwanese authorities urged people to avoid coasts and mountains.
Taiwan closes exchange, schools and offices
Work and classes were suspended in nearly all of Taiwan's 22 counties and cities on Friday, with only Kinmen county continuing as usual. The island's $5tn (£3.7tn) stock exchange was closed because of the severe weather, BBC News reported.
Authorities said one person died after being swept away by waves, 171 people were injured and 1,000 others were forced to evacuate. Weather agencies in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan forecast the storm's eye would pass without landfall in Taiwan, though a Central Weather Administration forecaster told Reuters that could not be ruled out completely.
Storm strength and track
Champi was carrying gusts of 191km/h (119mph) on Friday afternoon. At its peak earlier in the week it was the planet's strongest storm of the year so far, reaching maximum sustained winds of 185mph (298km/h) over the Philippine Sea.
After passing Taiwan's north-eastern tip and the Okinawa islands, the storm was expected to hover off China's eastern coast before curving north-east toward Japan's main island. It is Japan's 30th typhoon of the year, the first time since 2013 the country has seen so many, which BBC News attributed to an unusually strong El Niño.
How many flights were cancelled in Japan because of Typhoon Champi?
BBC News reports more than 160 flights were cancelled across four Japanese airlines. Region-wide, hundreds of flights in East Asia were cancelled on Friday as the typhoon passed near Taiwan.
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