Typhoon Champi, Japan's 30th Storm of 2026, Nears Kyushu With Flood Warnings

Typhoon Champi, the 30th named storm of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, was forecast to approach Japan's Kyushu region around Monday, October 26, before weakening into an extratropical low near waters off western Shikoku, according to a report carried by Nippon.com citing Jiji Press.

As of 3 p.m. Saturday, October 24, Champi was located about 250 kilometers north of Yonaguni Island and moving north-northeast at roughly 20 kilometers per hour, the same report said. At that time the storm's central pressure was 985 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds of up to 30 meters per second (about 108 km/h) — far weaker than its peak intensity days earlier.

From super typhoon to weakening system

Champi reached its peak intensity on October 20, when NASA's MODIS satellite programme recorded maximum sustained winds of 296 km/h (185 mph), according to a summary published by The Watchers. The U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) put peak winds at 278 km/h (173 mph), while the Philippine weather agency PAGASA estimated 205 km/h (127 mph) — a divergence the report attributed to differing measurement methodologies between agencies. Central pressure was estimated at 900 hPa at that stage.

The Watchers report also noted that forecast models disagreed sharply on Champi's future path at the time: physics-based models pointed to a landfall over central or northern Taiwan, while some AI-driven guidance suggested the storm would recurve toward or just north of Kyushu. The JTWC described its confidence in both track and intensity forecasts as "low" through the five-day outlook.

Impact on Taiwan and Okinawa

Champi struck Taiwan's northeast around October 23, killing one person and injuring more than 500 others, according to Al Jazeera. The storm toppled trees, caused brief flooding, damaged power lines and forced more than 5,000 evacuations; about 56,000 households lost electricity and 259 flights were cancelled. Yilan County had already recorded more than 400 mm of rain by Friday, October 23, out of a forecast total of up to 900 mm over three days, the report said.

The storm then tracked toward Okinawa's Sakishima Islands. Al Jazeera reported about 8,400 households in Okinawa lost power and two people were injured. On Iriomote Island, 48-hour rainfall reached 567 millimeters, a new record for the location, Nippon.com/Jiji Press reported. A separate update from Weathernews' Southeast Asia service said the Okinawa and Amami regions faced gusts of up to 55 meters per second, wave heights of up to 12 meters, and risks of house damage, river overflow and storm surge as Champi passed closest to the Sakishima Islands around October 24.

Warnings for western and central Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency is cautioning about heavy rainfall in northern Kyushu, the Chugoku and Kinki regions, and the Hokuriku region through around Monday, October 26, the Nippon.com/Jiji Press report said. Part of the risk comes from a stalled weather front stretching from eastern to western Japan, which is being reinforced by warm, moist air drawn in ahead of the typhoon.

A Weathernews bulletin published for October 25 said locally intense rain was expected from western Japan through the Tokai region, with morning rain concentrated on the Sea of Japan side shifting to the Pacific side in the afternoon. The Kanto and Tohoku regions were also expected to see rainfall from the same frontal system. The bulletin warned of road flooding, inundation in low-lying areas and landslides, while forecasting daytime highs of 24–27°C in most areas and summer-like heat in southern Kyushu. Hokkaido, by contrast, was forecast to see mostly clear skies with highs of 15–19°C.

Intensity at a glance

What is still unknown

Forecast tracks for Champi's exact landfall point and timing have shifted as the storm has evolved, and agencies have flagged lower-than-usual confidence in track forecasts at earlier stages. The reports reviewed for this article did not specify casualty figures, evacuation orders or transportation disruptions for mainland Japan as of the time of publication; those details were limited to Taiwan and Okinawa.