Champi Weakens Off Taiwan After Killing One, Injuring 94

Taiwan grounded 931 flights and shut schools and offices on Friday as Typhoon Champi passed near the island from the southeast. The storm's centre was forecast to stay offshore, moving past the island's northeastern tip before turning north toward Japan's southwestern islands.

Champi's maximum sustained winds reached 298 kilometres per hour earlier this week, then dropped to 155 kilometres per hour as it approached Taiwan. The storm carries a radius of about 320 kilometres, enough to span most of the island.

One person died on Thursday after being swept away by waves in Liuqiu, a small island off the southeastern coast, the fire department said. Officials reported 94 injuries and the evacuation of more than 2,600 people from vulnerable mountainous areas. The Transport Ministry cancelled 262 domestic and 669 international flights. High-speed rail along the western coast kept running normally.

Taipei, the capital, saw light showers and gusty winds, and its subway and other transport services stayed open. The Central Weather Administration told residents in coastal areas to avoid outdoor activity, skip driving, and watch for falling objects. Experts expect the storm's main effects on Taiwan to last through Saturday, with the system reaching Japan's southern mainland on Monday.

In southwestern Japan, the typhoon injured one person, disrupted flights and cut power. The Okinawa prefecture government said a woman in her 70s broke a leg in strong wind on Miyako island. Nearly 2,000 homes on Ishigaki island lost electricity, and flights to and from Miyako, Ishigaki and Okinawa were cancelled.

The coast guard in the northern Philippines barred ships and ferries from sailing on Friday as waters roughened off several northern towns and cities. Basco airport, the main airport in Batanes province, closed and two local flights were cancelled; windows were boarded up. In Cagayan province, nearly 200 people moved to safer ground, about 100 of them to government-run shelters, and classes were suspended in Calayan. Earlier this month, Champi crossed Pacific islands including Guam, where a federal disaster area was declared.