The visualizations provided by the Copernicus Marine Service are based on data from October 21, 2026.
According to the Copernicus Marine Service, this super typhoon reached an intensity equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale—the highest possible category—with maximum sustained wind speeds reaching 296 km/h. “This is the strongest sustained wind speed recorded for any tropical cyclone worldwide throughout 2026,” stated the Copernicus Marine Service.
Champi Moving Slowly
The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) reported that as of 2:00 a.m. on Friday, Typhoon Champi was located approximately 450 kilometers southeast of Taipei. The system is expected to move in a north-northwesterly direction at a speed of about 18 kilometers per hour toward the waters east of Taiwan.
Once east of Taiwan, there is a higher probability that the cyclone will turn northward, crossing the East China Sea toward the region near Kyushu (Japan) and Korea.
Nevertheless, the HKO noted that there remains a possibility the cyclone could track along the coasts of Taiwan and Zhejiang.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that maximum significant wave heights have reached 12.2 meters (40 feet). Currently, Champi is moving slowly, exhibiting a trochoidal path as it enters a weak steering environment—situated just south of a large gap in the steering flow within the deeper layers of the atmosphere.
