Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday ahead of Typhoon Champi, with financial markets closed and schools and offices shut across the island except in the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, Reuters reported from Taipei. The storm is weakening and is not expected to make direct landfall on Taiwan.

Source: Reuters

Champi, at one point a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, was still packing gusts of around 191 kph (119 mph) near its centre, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm was about 330 km (205 miles) east of Taiwan's southern tip, with a radius of around 320 km — large enough to cover most of Taiwan — and weather experts said its impact could last nearly two days.

Taiwan's transport ministry said all 262 domestic flights were cancelled for Friday, along with more than 350 international flights. In the capital Taipei there were squally showers, but public transport including the subway was operating, albeit with reduced service, Reuters said.

Track: past Taiwan, toward China coast and southern Japan

The forecast track shows Champi passing just off northeastern Taiwan, then turning north toward the Chinese coast and eventually into southern Japan, the CWA said. The typhoon is forecast to first pass over Japan's westernmost inhabited island, Yonaguni, in Okinawa Prefecture.

Friday's shutdown follows Thursday's land warning, when Champi was still packing gusts of more than 227 kph, more than 100 flights were already cancelled and nearly a metre of rain was forecast for northern mountain areas including the hills near Taipei, Reuters reported a day earlier.

Source: Reuters via DevDiscourse

Taiwan is generally very well prepared for typhoons, which keeps casualties low, Reuters noted. Typhoons are more common in summer, but they can also strike in autumn, bringing strong winds and torrential rain. No casualties from Friday's approach were reported in the Reuters report.