Taiwan Issues Land Warning as Typhoon Champi Approaches

Taiwan issued a land warning Thursday as Typhoon Champi approached from the Pacific, prompting flight cancellations and warnings of heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous seas. The storm was about 250 kilometers southeast of Yilan, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said, as it forecast the typhoon would pass off the island’s northeastern coast before turning north. The administration said Champi had weakened slightly from its peak intensity but still had gusts exceeding 227 kilometers per hour near its center. Its wind field had expanded to a radius of about 320 kilometers, officials said. The storm was expected to come closest to Taiwan late Friday, with its path and intensity determining the extent of local impacts. Taiwan’s transport ministry reported 125 flight cancellations on Thursday, mostly domestic. Rail services were unaffected at that time. The interior ministry said no resident evacuations had been reported. Mobile-phone alerts warned coastal communities of waves exceeding six meters, while nearly one meter of rain was forecast in northern mountain areas, including hills near Taipei. The forecast called for heavy rain across northern Taiwan and eastern areas,...