Taiwan issues sea-and-land typhoon warning as Typhoon Champi approaches

As of 1:09 a.m. ET, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration has a sea-and-land typhoon warning in effect for Typhoon Champi. In its latest bulletin, Report No. 5-1 of the warning for Typhoon No. 29, issued at 12:15 a.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 22 (12:15 p.m. Taiwan time), the agency said Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and the Hengchun Peninsula should be on heightened alert.

"According to the latest data, the storm circle of Typhoon No. 29 has expanded slightly over the past three hours. Its center is currently over the sea east-southeast of Eluanbi, moving northwest turning north-northwest, and it will pose a threat to the Yilan, Hualien and Taitung areas and the Hengchun Peninsula," the agency said in Chinese, in a statement translated by GROKsiNEWS.com. The Chinese-language bulletin classifies Champi as a severe typhoon.

Strength and position

At 12 a.m. ET Thursday (noon Taiwan time), the center of Champi was at 20.7 degrees north latitude and 125.6 degrees east longitude, about 510 kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, the bulletin said. It was moving northwest turning north-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour, becoming 20 kilometers per hour.

The agency put the storm's central pressure at 925 hectopascals. It said maximum sustained winds near the center were 51 meters per second, about 184 kilometers per hour, equivalent to force 16, with maximum gusts of 63 meters per second, about 227 kilometers per hour, equivalent to force 17 or above.

The average radius of force-7 winds was 320 kilometers, ranging from 290 kilometers on the southwest side to 350 kilometers on the northwest and northeast sides, and the average radius of force-10 winds was 160 kilometers, according to the bulletin.

Forecast

The agency forecast that at 11 p.m. ET Thursday (11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, Taiwan time), the center would be at 23.1 degrees north latitude and 123.4 degrees east longitude, about 250 kilometers southeast of Yilan. Its track forecast for that time lists a central pressure of 925 hectopascals and maximum sustained winds near the center of 51 meters per second.

The bulletin said the next warning was scheduled for 2:30 a.m. ET Thursday (2:30 p.m. Taiwan time).

Warnings for land and sea

The sea warning covers the Bashi Channel, the waters off eastern Taiwan, the waters off northern Taiwan and the southern Taiwan Strait. The agency said vessels navigating and operating there should be on heightened alert.

The agency said wind and waves would be large in the waters around Taiwan on Thursday and Friday, with waves of 3 meters or more. The eastern coast, including Lanyu and Ludao, Keelung's north coast and the Hengchun Peninsula are prone to huge waves of 6 meters or more, it said, and it asked people to avoid going to the seaside. It also said outdoor hanging objects, signs, fences and scaffolding should be secured.

In a separate strong wind advisory issued at 10:33 p.m. ET Wednesday (10:33 a.m. Thursday Taiwan time), the agency said local areas of Lanyu, Ludao, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi County, Tainan, Pingtung, Yilan and Penghu could see average winds of force 9 or above or gusts of force 11 or above from Thursday morning through Friday night. It attributed the winds to a markedly stronger northeasterly wind and the typhoon's outer circulation on Thursday, and to the typhoon and its outer circulation on Friday.

What is not known

Whether the center of the storm will reach Taiwan's coast. The bulletin's forecast places it about 250 kilometers southeast of Yilan at 11 a.m. Friday Taiwan time and does not say whether it will make landfall.

Whether the warning areas will change. The agency's next warning is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Thursday Taiwan time.