As Taiwan has been placed within the influence zone of the 30th Typhoon "Champi," local governments have entered emergency response mode by issuing massive work and school closures.

With the typhoon projected to change course toward the Japanese archipelago, the Japanese government is also on high alert while stepping up safety measures.

According to Taiwanese media outlets such as the United Daily News and Liberty Times on the 23rd, work and school closures were issued the previous evening across 20 local governments, including the capital city of Taipei, Hsinchu—home to the headquarters of TSMC, the world's largest foundry (semiconductor contract manufacturer)—and Kaohsiung.

Additionally, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued a land warning for the main island of Taiwan the previous day, along with sea warnings for the surrounding waters and the Bashi Channel. The Central Emergency Operation Center of Taiwan announced that as of 6:30 a.m. that day, 1 person had died and 94 others were injured due to Champi. As of 8:00 a.m., 1,286 residents had been evacuated across Taiwan. With the Taiwan Stock Exchange closed for the day, all domestic flights were cancelled, and most airlines were set to cancel or delay afternoon international flights.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te noted the previous day that Champi is the first typhoon to directly impact Taiwan since this autumn, urging caution against strong winds and torrential rain while instructing the Executive Yuan (cabinet) to work closely with relevant ministries and local governments to prevent disasters and protect citizens' lives and property. The Taiwanese CWA stated that the center of the typhoon is expected to approach within 80 km of Taiwan late tonight to the early hours of the 24th, without ruling out the possibility of it making landfall on the northeastern or northern coast.

Japan is also making thorough preparations to prevent damage as the southern region of Okinawa enters the direct and indirect influence zone of the typhoon. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, as of 1:00 p.m. that day, Champi was located 110 kilometers south-southwest of Iriomote Island, a southern island in Okinawa, moving north-northwest at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. Its central pressure is 955 hPa (hectopascals), with a maximum sustained wind speed near the center of 40 meters per second and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 60 meters per second.

The Japanese government established a crisis management center at the Prime Minister's Office information liaison room the previous day, and Okinawa Prefecture also held a disaster countermeasure headquarters meeting that same day to review preparedness. Already, 59 flights by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) departing from or arriving in Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures have been cancelled. Ishigaki Island in southern Okinawa, a popular destination for tourists, saw its airport close the previous day, and with ferry terminals continuing suspensions, it is effectively shut down. In Kagoshima, a marathon event scheduled to be held for three days starting today has been cancelled.

The Japan Meteorological Agency expects the typhoon, characterized by strong winds and heavy rain, to pass through Kyushu and Shikoku before cutting across Honshu, causing damage not only to Western Japan but also to Eastern Japan, and is urging citizens to exercise caution. An official from the Meteorological Agency warned, "In the Sakishima Islands (of southern Okinawa), there must be strict vigilance against heavy rain, high tides, storm surges, and gales until the day after tomorrow," adding, "In particular, with maximum wind speeds reaching 40 meters per second, there is a risk of winds strong enough to blow over moving trucks sideways."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]