56,000 Out of Power as Typhoon Champi Batters Taiwan
Emergency response teams scrambled across Taiwan on October 24, 2026, after Typhoon Champi knocked out electricity, killed one person, and injured more than 500 across the island. Over 5,000 residents were evacuated from high-risk zones as municipal utility crews worked to clear fallen trees and repair damaged power lines.
Storm Track Shift Threatens China and Japan After 65 Centimetres of Torrential Rain
Around 56,000 households remained without electricity on Saturday while the storm generated nearly 24 centimetres of rainfall in western Miaoli county and up to 65 centimetres in northeastern Yilan county since Thursday. Data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center confirmed Champi carried sustained winds of 176 kph on Saturday as it weakened from a former super typhoon that had previously reached ocean speeds of nearly 300 kph. Most commercial businesses across northern and central Taiwan remained closed for a second day, with the Central Weather Administration cautioning that surrounding sea waters continue to experience heavy swell while the system tracks north toward China’s eastern provinces and Japan’s southern islands.
Chinese authorities issued severe weather advisories for Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang ahead of torrential rainfall and suspended select rail operations, while official reports from Japan confirmed two storm-related injuries in Okinawa prefecture.
The intense Pacific storm activity coincides with an ongoing El Nino climate pattern that has driven elevated sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, aligning with earlier UN warnings instructing regional emergency management agencies to prepare for severe weather risks.
