Typhoon Champi nears Taiwan, causing 200 flight cancellations and disrupting US-Japan drills

Typhoon Champi disrupted transport and raised safety risks across Taiwan and Japan. Its large wind field, heavy rain and dangerous waves forced authorities and travelers to change plans. The storm was forecast to affect Taiwan for nearly two days and then move toward Japan.

Taiwan cancelled 125 flights on Thursday, mostly domestic, although its rail network remained unaffected. Coastal towns warned of waves above 6 meters, and northern mountain areas could receive nearly a meter of rain. In Japan Airlines, ANA and Skymark cancelled more than 100 flights between Thursday and Sunday, disrupting travel for over 11,000 passengers.

Champi also affected the Keen Sword military exercise around Japanese islands near Taiwan. Training activities were adjusted daily to protect participants. The storm was forecast to pass over Yonaguni and move toward southern Japan, so further weather-related disruption remained possible even as no evacuations had been reported in Taiwan.

A typhoon is a rotating tropical storm that forms over warm ocean water and can produce very strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous waves. It matters because its broad circulation can affect large areas, not just the point near its center. Champi was still producing gusts above 227 kph near its center.

“Typhoon” and “hurricane” describe the same general type of storm, but the names depend on location. The term typhoon is used mainly in the northwest Pacific. Hurricane is used in the Atlantic and northeastern Pacific. In other ocean regions, the term cyclone is common. The naming difference does not mean one storm type is stronger.

Champi shows why the distinction matters geographically. It threatened Taiwan, Japan and nearby Pacific waters, so it is called a typhoon. The article describes autumn typhoons as capable of bringing strong winds and torrential rain, even though they are more common in summer.

Champi was both powerful and unusually broad. The Central Weather Administration recorded gusts above 227 kph near the storm’s center. Its radius expanded to 320 km, creating a wind and weather field large enough to cover most of Taiwan. Experts warned that its effects could last nearly two days.

The storm also threatened serious water impacts. Coastal towns warned residents about waves exceeding 6 meters. Forecasts called for nearly a meter of rain in northern mountain areas, including hills near Taipei. These figures show why the storm posed risks beyond its strongest winds, especially along coasts and in steep terrain.

Transport disruption provided another measure of Champi’s reach. Taiwan cancelled 125 flights on Thursday. Japanese airlines cancelled more than 100 flights from Thursday through Sunday. Together, those cancellations exceeded 225 flights, while the Japanese cancellations affected more than 11,000 passengers.

Typhoons can disrupt military exercises because drills involve coordinated movement, communications and safety decisions. Strong winds, torrential rain, high waves and reduced visibility can make flying, sailing, landing and outdoor activity dangerous. The storm does not need to pass directly over every training site to affect the exercise.

Keen Sword includes land, sea and air operations, plus missile defense drills and amphibious landings. Champi threatened Taiwan, Yonaguni and Japan’s southern areas, while its broad 320-kilometer radius was large enough to cover most of Taiwan. Its weather could therefore affect routes, nearby waters, aircraft operations or support arrangements.

The exercise began with about 56,000 Japanese and U.S. personnel and forces from five other countries. The U.S. military said training activities were adjusted daily to ensure participant safety. This shows that weather planning can change an exercise even when particular drills are outside the storm’s direct path.

Keen Sword is a large multinational military exercise held every two years. Its purpose is to rehearse Japan’s defense through coordinated operations. The exercise matters because it tests how different forces work together across several environments, rather than practicing only one isolated military task.

The exercise involves about 56,000 Japanese and U.S. personnel, alongside forces from five other countries. The article specifically names the Philippines and Australia among those participants. Activities take place around Japanese islands near Taiwan, linking the exercise to a strategically important part of the region.

Keen Sword practices land, sea and air operations. It includes missile defense drills and amphibious landings. The exercise began on Monday, but Champi’s approach required day-to-day changes to training activities. The U.S. military said those adjustments were made to protect everyone taking part.

Taiwan is generally well prepared for typhoons, and the article links that preparation with low casualty levels. Preparation matters because typhoons can combine strong winds, torrential rain, coastal waves and mountain flooding. Early action gives residents and authorities time to reduce exposure before conditions worsen.

For Champi, coastal towns sent mobile phone alerts about waves exceeding 6 meters. Taiwan’s leader Lai Ching-te told the public to prepare and avoid the mountains and coast. Transport authorities cancelled 125 flights, while interior authorities monitored whether evacuations were needed. The rail network was unaffected at that point.

These measures reduce risk by warning people, limiting travel into dangerous areas and preparing public services for disruption. No resident evacuations had yet been reported when the article was written. The storm still threatened nearly a meter of rain in northern mountains, so continued caution remained important.

A typhoon begins when warm ocean water supplies heat and moisture to rising air. As moist air rises, it cools and releases energy, encouraging more air to rise and lowering pressure near the surface. This feedback can organize thunderstorms into a rotating tropical cyclone. Warmer water generally provides more fuel, if other conditions are suitable.

Atmospheric winds steer the storm like a moving current and can also strengthen or weaken its structure. Earth’s rotation causes the Coriolis effect, which turns moving air and helps create the storm’s broad spin. The effect is too weak near the equator, so tropical cyclones usually form farther away from it.

Champi’s forecast track illustrates steering in practice. It was expected to pass northeastern Taiwan, turn north toward China’s coast and eventually move into southern Japan. The article gives the track, while the atmospheric processes explain why a storm can curve and travel across several regions.