Typhoon Champi, which at its peak became the strongest storm on Earth this year, swept past Taiwan early on Saturday (October 24), killing one person and injuring 527, after a terrifying night in which the storm's centre looped off the island's northeast coast and gusts of about 227 km/h (141 mph) tore down power lines and sent roof tiles flying.
Typhoon Champi seen from space on October 20, days before it reached Taiwan. (Image: MODIS, NOAA Aqua satellite, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
A Rare Midnight Loop Off the Yilan Coast
Champi glanced off Taiwan's northeastern coast in Yilan County in the early hours of Saturday, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA). Around midnight, the storm's centre turned south, hugging the Yilan coastline, before making a rare loop offshore and finally moving north and away.
"It was most terrifying around midnight," said a retired teacher surnamed Lin, inspecting downed banana trees in his garden in Yilan. "It was a sleepless night. I haven't seen anything like this in many years."
At one point a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, Champi is now weakening, though it was still packing gusts of around 126 km/h (78 mph) near its centre on Saturday, when it sat about 150 km (93 miles) east of Taiwan.
One Dead, 527 Injured
Taiwan's fire department said the death toll remained at one — a man swept away by waves from the island of Liuqiu — with 527 people injured during the heavy wind and torrential rain. Taipower, the state utility, said more than 288,000 homes lost electricity at the peak of the storm, though most have since been reconnected. In the capital Taipei, residents woke to downed trees and squally rain showers.
An Island Shut Down: Nearly 1,000 Flights Cancelled
Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday as Champi approached. Financial markets, schools and offices closed, and the transport ministry said almost 1,000 flights were cancelled on Friday — all 262 domestic flights and 717 international ones. A further 242 flights were cancelled on Saturday. Some 2,639 people were evacuated from mountainous areas at risk of landslides and flooding, and a swathe of northern and central Taiwan, including Taipei, declared a second day of office and school closures on Saturday.
TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, whose factories are concentrated in Taiwan, said its operations remained normal with no significant impact.
File photo: Taipei during a typhoon. Taiwan is hit by several typhoons a year and is among the best-prepared places in Asia for them. (Photo: ynes95, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Now Heading for China and Southern Japan
Champi's forecast track now takes it north along the Chinese coast toward southern Japan, though it is not expected to make landfall in China. Beijing is taking no chances: China's emergency management ministry has sent a team to the eastern province of Zhejiang, readied 400 rescue workers and 600 pieces of equipment, and put more than 41,000 firefighters on emergency duty. In the coastal city of Taizhou, more than 3,800 fishing boats returned to harbour, 2,084 island visitors were evacuated, 25 offshore construction projects were halted and 18 passenger ferry routes suspended.
Why Taiwan Weathers Storms Like This
Taiwan is generally very well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low — the storms are more common in summer but can strike in autumn too. What made Champi especially dangerous was its sheer size: CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng told Reuters the storm's wind radius was "quite large, among the bigger ones in recent years," warning that if it slowed down, the strong winds would batter Taiwan for longer. At its peak over the open Pacific, Champi's winds reached an estimated 296 km/h (184 mph) — Category 5 strength — briefly making it the most powerful tropical cyclone on the planet in 2026.
FAQs
How many people were killed or injured by Typhoon Champi in Taiwan?
One person was killed — a man swept away by waves off Liuqiu island — and 527 were injured, according to Taiwan's fire department.
How many flights were cancelled?
Almost 1,000 on Friday (262 domestic and 717 international), with 242 more cancelled on Saturday.
Where is Typhoon Champi going next?
North along the Chinese coast toward southern Japan. It is not expected to make landfall in China, but Zhejiang province has put rescue teams and more than 41,000 firefighters on emergency duty.
How strong was Champi at its peak?
It reached super typhoon strength with estimated peak winds of 296 km/h (184 mph), briefly making it the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth in 2026.
Sources: Reuters, Taiwan Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan Fire Department, Taipower.