Typhoon Champi and Cyclone Arnab

What's happened

Typhoon Champi has battered Taiwan and Japan’s southern islands, killing at least one person, injuring hundreds and causing mass power outages and flight cancellations. Champi has weakened from super-typhoon strength but still carries destructive winds and heavy rains. A separate cyclonic storm, Arnab, has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is moving toward north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha, where authorities have issued heavy-rain and wind alerts.

What's behind the headline?

Immediate hazards and timing

• Champi will continue to deliver extreme rainfall and strong winds to northeastern Taiwan through Saturday; agencies have reported up to 400–620mm in parts of Yilan and forecast totals up to 900mm in mountainous areas.
• The storm will prolong coastal flooding and power outages in Okinawa and eastern China as it hovers offshore before turning northeast toward mainland Japan.

Why impacts will be severe

• Sea-surface warming from the exceptional El Niño has increased storm intensity; Champi briefly reached super-typhoon/Category 5 strength and remains a high-end typhoon, so coastal surge, prolonged rainfall and landslides will concentrate damage in mountainous and low-lying areas.
• Slow motion near Taiwan’s northeastern tip will increase rainfall totals and the risk of river flooding and slope failures.

Arnab’s risk to India

• Arnab will bring extreme heavy rain and gusty winds to north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha when it nears the coast. Models disagree on whether it will stall onshore; if it slows, inland flooding and prolonged wind damage will increase.

Forecasted consequences and next steps

• Emergency services will be occupied across multiple countries: search-and-rescue and power-restoration demands will peak over the next 72 hours.
• Maritime and aviation disruption will persist while the storms hover offshore; expect continued flight cancellations and port suspensions.
• Agricultural damage will increase in coastal and hill farming zones where prolonged rain will rot crops and trigger landslides.

What to watch next

• Changes in storm track and forward speed; a stall or loop near coastlines will multiply rainfall and flood risk.
• Rainfall totals and river-level readings across northeastern Taiwan and eastern India over the coming 48–96 hours.

How we got here

An unusually strong El Niño has intensified Pacific storms this season, producing multiple super typhoons including Champi. Meteorological agencies have tracked Champi as it passed northeast Taiwan and the Okinawa islands; Champi has since weakened but continues to produce extreme rain and wind. Arnab developed in the west-central Bay of Bengal and is forecast to approach India’s east coast this week.

Our analysis

Bloomberg has focused on wind intensity and storm position: it reported Champi’s peak sustained winds at up to 290km/h earlier in the week and later cited sustained winds around 213km/h, describing the storm as equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane as it neared Taiwan and Okinawa (Bloomberg, 21–27 Oct). The BBC and Al Jazeera have emphasised human impacts in Taiwan: the BBC reported one death, 171 injured and widespread cancellations and a near-total shutdown of work and schools, while Al Jazeera described evacuations, power cuts and forecasts of up to 900mm of rain and quoted CWA forecasters urging people to stay indoors. The Guardian and France 24 placed Champi in the wider context of an off-the-charts El Niño, reporting heavy Yilan county rainfall totals and national meteorological alerts in India for Cyclone Arnab. Arab News combined first-hand accounts of stranded travellers and business actions with CWA warnings and military readiness in Taiwan. Taken together, the outlets agree on the storm’s severity and on El Niño’s role; Bloomberg gives the most detail on wind speed and storm categorisation, while regional outlets supply human-impact reporting and local official quotes such as CWA forecaster Lu Kuo-chen saying the typhoon "may slow down" near Taiwan’s northeastern tip, prolonging its impact (Al Jazeera; Arab News).

Go deeper

• How long will Champi continue to affect Taiwan and when will rainfall peak?
• Will Arnab make landfall in Andhra Pradesh or Odisha and could it stall onshore?
• How will the ongoing El Niño shape storm frequency and intensity through winter?

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