Taiwan Cancels 125 Flights and Shuts Schools as Typhoon Champi Nears With 96 mph Winds
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Oct 22
Taiwan Cancels 125 Flights and Shuts Schools as Typhoon Champi Nears With 96 mph Winds
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Oct 22
Summary
Taiwan issued land and sea warnings Thursday, canceled 125 mostly domestic flights and ordered schools and offices on the main island closed Friday as Typhoon Champi tracks close to its northeast coast.
Champi had weakened from super typhoon status to a typhoon with 96 mph sustained winds, but still carried gusts of 119 mph and was expected to lash Taiwan for nearly two days.
Up to 18 inches of rain is forecast in northeastern Taiwan, with nearly 3 feet possible in northern mountain areas, while mobile alerts warned coastal towns of waves above 6 meters.
Japan Airlines, ANA and Skymark have also canceled more than 100 flights through Sunday, affecting over 11,000 passengers, as the storm is forecast to curve toward southern Japan after passing Taiwan.
Forecasters said heavy rain and strong winds could extend into eastern China through the weekend, raising risks of flooding, mudslides, structural damage, power outages and wider transport disruption.