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Typhoon to turn away from Taiwan; heavy rain still forecast

2026-10-20

Typhoon Champi is forecast to turn northward earlier than previously expected, sparing Taiwan a direct hit but still bringing heavy rain to the north of the country on Friday and Saturday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Typhoon Champi had strengthened and increased in size over the past 12 hours, and as of yesterday afternoon, was packing sustained winds of 198kph near its center, CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said. However, due to the weakening of a Pacific high-pressure system the storm is now expected to turn northward earlier than initially forecast, likely around Japan’s Ishigaki Island, Cheng said. As Champi brushes

Chinese naval carrier group enters western Pacific

2026-10-15

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier group was being monitored after entering the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense said today, after Beijing yesterday criticized Taiwan for using a water cannon against a Chinese fishing boat near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). A Chinese naval task group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning (遼寧) yesterday sailed to the western Pacific for training, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the PLA Navy as saying. “The drill is part of the annual routine training plan aimed at testing and improving the troops’ combat readiness and enhancing their ability to

By Fang Wei-li and Fion Khan

Taiwan News Quick Take

2026-10-18

TYPHOON WATCH Champi closes to east Typhoon Champi could continue to strengthen and approach waters off eastern Taiwan by Thursday, with some forecast models suggesting it could move west and cross the nation, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Champi was 2,980km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, and moving west at 22kph. It had maximum sustained winds of 162kph and a storm radius of 180km, CWA data showed. CWA forecaster Chang Cheng-chuan (張承傳) said Champi could intensify as it moves west before turning west-northwest toward Taiwan. The storm is expected to reach waters off eastern

Taiwan says drives away 16 Chinese ships involved in ‘maritime harassment’

2026-10-19

Taiwan said yesterday it had driven away 16 Chinese coast guard, research and fishing vessels involved in simultaneous “maritime harassment” operations. An “unusually large” number of Chinese vessels took part in the coordinated operations around Taiwan proper and Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Taiwanese coast guard said in a statement. The Chinese vessels, including four fishing boats, carried out “simultaneous operations at multiple locations and engaged in hybrid warfare,” the statement said. The locations were off Taiwan’s eastern, southern and southwestern coastlines, and around Pratas. Some of the Chinese vessels entered Taiwan’s restricted