World’s strongest storm of 2026, Champi, barrels towards Taiwan; China prepares evacuations and shutdowns

Super Typhoon Champi, the strongest storm of the year with winds up to 245 km/h, is nearing Taiwan and eastern China, prompting evacuation efforts, ferry suspensions, and coastal shutdowns.

Authorities in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces are evacuating vulnerable residents, halting construction projects, and ordering fishing vessels to return to ports in anticipation of severe weather.

Despite uncertainty over the storm's exact path, forecasters warn of heavy rain and strong winds impacting major areas, including Shanghai, with potential disruptions to air travel.

Emergency preparations are underway, including potential suspensions of schools and public transport, as authorities brace for possible flooding and landslides.

BEIJING, Oct 21 — The world’s strongest storm of the year is bearing down on Taiwan and eastern China, prompting evacuation preparations, ferry suspensions and coastal shutdowns as authorities brace for destructive winds and torrential rain.

Super Typhoon Champi, packing winds of up to 245km/h, was moving towards waters east of Taiwan today, threatening widespread disruption across China’s southeastern coastline even as uncertainty remained over its eventual path.

Authorities in Zhejiang province have begun preparing to evacuate vulnerable residents, including elderly people, pregnant women and those with disabilities, while suspending 36 passenger ferry routes and halting work on 223 marine construction projects, South China Morning Post reported.

Coastal tourist attractions are also being closed, with workers at offshore construction sites and fish farms ordered to evacuate as emergency teams step up preparations.

In neighbouring Fujian province, fishing vessels have been instructed to return to the safety of ports by today, with crews required to be ashore by tomorrow.

Champi, which has become the most powerful tropical cyclone recorded worldwide this year in terms of wind speed, was moving northwest at about 20km/h, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre.

Forecasters had earlier warned that the storm could strike Taiwan’s eastern coast around Saturday before crossing the island and making a second landfall in Fujian, potentially weakening to a severe tropical storm or typhoon.

However, an updated forecast today indicated that Champi could instead turn northeast near Taiwan, possibly brushing the island’s northeastern coast before heading towards waters south-west of Japan.

Despite the uncertainty, coastal areas of Zhejiang and Fujian, as well as Shanghai, China’s financial hub, face the prospect of heavy rain and powerful winds.

Air travel could also be affected, with aviation data platform VariFlight identifying several major airports potentially exposed to disruption, including those serving Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Fuzhou, Wenzhou and Xiamen.

No widespread flight cancellations or delays had been announced as of today, although travellers were being advised to monitor developments.

Zhejiang activated its typhoon emergency response this morning, with authorities preparing to suspend schools, businesses, workplaces, outdoor gatherings and public transport if conditions deteriorate.

Emergency workers have also been inspecting drainage systems and other vulnerable infrastructure amid concerns that prolonged rainfall could trigger flooding and landslides.

China’s national weather agency maintained a blue typhoon warning, the lowest in its four-tier alert system, while urging residents to secure outdoor structures, avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from mountainous areas and river valleys vulnerable to flash floods.

Authorities have warned that even if Champi avoids a direct landfall, its enormous circulation could still unleash dangerous conditions along China’s eastern seaboard.

The storm’s changing trajectory has left coastal provinces racing to complete precautionary measures before the worst of the weather arrives.

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今年最强台风“占比”风速高达每小时 245 公里，正逼近台湾和中国东部，引发疏散行动、渡轮停运和沿海地区关闭。

浙江省和福建省当局正在疏散易受灾居民，停止建筑项目，并命令渔船返回港口，以应对恶劣天气。

尽管风暴的确切路径尚不确定，但预报员警告称，包括上海在内的主要地区将受到暴雨和大风的影响，并可能对航空旅行造成干扰。

当局正严阵以待，应对可能发生的洪水和山体滑坡，包括可能暂停学校和公共交通在内的紧急准备工作正在进行中。

北京，10月21日——今年全球最强风暴正逼近台湾和中国东部，当局严阵以待，准备应对破坏性强风和暴雨，并已启动疏散准备、暂停渡轮运营和关闭沿海地区。

超强台风“占比”今天正向台湾东部海域移动，风速高达每小时245公里，预计将对中国东南沿海地区造成大范围破坏，但其最终路径仍存在不确定性。

据《南华早报》报道，浙江省有关部门已开始准备疏散包括老人、孕妇和残疾人在内的弱势居民，同时暂停了36条客运渡轮航线，并停止了223个海上建设项目。

沿海旅游景点也已关闭，海上建筑工地和养鱼场的工人被命令撤离，应急小组正在加紧准备。

在邻近的福建省，渔船已被指示于今日返回安全港口，船员须于明日上岸。

据中国国家气象中心消息，今年以来风速最高的热带气旋“昌比”正以约20公里/小时的速度向西北方向移动。

预报员此前曾警告说，这场风暴可能会在周六左右袭击台湾东部沿海地区，然后横穿台湾岛，并在福建再次登陆，并有可能减弱为强热带风暴或台风。

然而，今天更新的预测显示，占比可能会转向东北方向，靠近台湾，可能会掠过该岛的东北海岸，然后向日本西南海域移动。

尽管存在不确定性，但浙江和福建沿海地区以及中国金融中心上海仍面临暴雨和大风的威胁。

航空旅行也可能受到影响，航空数据平台 VariFlight 指出，包括上海、杭州、宁波、福州、温州和厦门在内的几个主要机场可能会受到干扰。

截至今日，尚未宣布大范围航班取消或延误，但建议旅客密切关注事态发展。

浙江省今天上午启动了台风应急响应，当局准备在情况恶化时暂停学校、企业、工作场所、户外集会和公共交通。

由于担心持续降雨可能引发洪水和山体滑坡，应急人员也一直在检查排水系统和其他脆弱的基础设施。

中国国家气象局维持蓝色台风预警，这是四级预警系统中的最低级别，同时敦促居民加固户外建筑物，避免不必要的出行，并远离易受山洪暴发影响的山区和河谷地区。

当局警告说，即使台风“占比”没有直接登陆，其巨大的环流仍可能在中国东部沿海地区造成危险状况。

由于风暴路径不断变化，沿海各省正争分夺秒地完成各项预防措施，以防最恶劣的天气到来。

绿色和平组织攀登雅加达地标，抨击印度尼西亚总统普拉博沃就任总统两周年的雾霾危机

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