Taipower is working to restore electricity to around 22-thousand households
still without power as Typhoon Champi affects Taiwan.

The state-run utility says more than 90-thousand households had experienced
power outages as of 3 PM today, with around 68-thousand already reconnected
... representing just over 75 percent of those affected.

The remaining outages are spread across several counties and cities, with
Changhua, Tainan, Taichung and Yunlin among the worst affected areas.

Taipower says repair crews are continuing efforts to restore electricity to
affected households as quickly as possible.

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As of 3:15 PM, Champi was centered about 180 kilometers east-southeast of
Yilan County ... moving north-northeast at between 6 and 15 kilometers per
hour .

Champi has retained it's strength ... packing maximum sustained winds of 155
kilometers per hour ... with gusts of up to 191 kilometers per hour ... and
still has a radius of 320 kilometers.

Extremely heavy rain is forecast for northern, northeastern and central
Taiwan, while mountainous areas of Yilan could see even more intense
downpours.

Gale-force winds are expected to affect the entire island this afternoon.

The CWA has also warned of dangerous coastal swells .... with waves reaching
10 meters high in waters southeast of Taiwan.

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New Taipei Metro began suspending services on three of its lines at 3 PM ...
as Typhoon Champi brings strong winds to northern Taiwan.

Those include the Danhai and Ankeng light rail lines, along with the Sanying
Line ... as wind gusts are forecast to reach force 9 to 12 (on the Beaufort
scale).

The Circular Line will continue operating, with trains running every 15
minutes.

Transport authorities also closed the Danjiang Bridge from 3 PM due to the
threat of strong winds near the Tamsui River estuary.

Drivers travelling between Tamsui and Bali are being advised to use Guandu
Bridge instead.

Officials warn that the transit suspensions and bridge closure could begin
earlier if weather conditions deteriorate.

Authorities are also monitoring several expressways in northern Taiwan ...
and may impose traffic restrictions if necessary.

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Those planning to travel by air or sea today are being advised to check the
latest service updates before setting off, as Typhoon Champi disrupts
transport across Taiwan.

As of this morning, the Civil Aviation Administration reports that more than
260 domestic flights and over 700 international flights have been cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Maritime and Port Bureau says 96 ferry sailings across 10
routes have been cancelled.

Affected services include ferries between Keelung and Matsu, Kaohsiung and
Penghu, and Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu. Some sailings between Kinmen and Wutong
in China have also been cancelled.

The bureau is urging the public to avoid travelling to Taiwan's outlying
islands during the typhoon.

Meanwhile, the Central Weather Administration says Typhoon Champi is expected
to bring its heaviest rain to Taiwan from Friday through Saturday morning,
with extremely torrential rain possible in mountainous areas of Yilan County.

CWA Deputy Weather Forecast Center Director Wu Wan-hua says the typhoon is
moving closer to Taiwan and is expected to slow down this evening before
turning north early Saturday.

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