Typhoon Champi nears Taiwan, grounding hundreds of flights

Summary

Typhoon Champi, described by the South China Morning Post as a super typhoon, approached Taiwan on Friday, and authorities warned residents to prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and giant waves, according to Phys.org, which reported the warnings on Thursday. Taiwan's transport ministry said 262 local flights and 715 international and cross-strait flights had been cancelled as of 10am Friday, according to the South China Morning Post. Hong Kong airlines cancelled or rescheduled more than a dozen flights to and from Taiwan and Japan, and by noon Friday more than 70 flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan had been cancelled, including more than 30 to Taoyuan airport, ahead of a possible landfall later that day. The storm also threatened eastern mainland China, including Shanghai, where emergency precautions were taken, and Japan, where they were taken during a large-scale joint military drill with the US. Further disruption is expected in the coming days.

Timeline

1. Phys.org

   22 Oct 2026, 08:38 UTCSource ↗

   Phys.org reports that a powerful typhoon was headed toward Taiwan on Thursday, cancelling dozens of flights and prompting warnings for locals to prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and giant waves.

2. South China Morning Post

   22 Oct 2026, 08:42 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that Hong Kong airlines cancelled or rescheduled more than a dozen flights to and from Taiwan and Japan due to Super Typhoon Champi, and that budget carrier HK Express would cancel 10 Hong Kong to Taiwan flights on Friday.

3. South China Morning Post

   23 Oct 2026, 06:39 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that more than 70 flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan had been cancelled as Super Typhoon Champi approached ahead of a possible landfall on Friday, with more than 30 cancelled to Taoyuan airport as of noon.

4. South China Morning Post

   23 Oct 2026, 08:00 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that Taiwan's transport ministry said 262 local flights and 715 international and cross-strait flights had been cancelled as of 10am on Friday, and that the storm threatened eastern mainland China, including Shanghai, and Japan.