Taipei:Taiwan has announced a near-total shutdown for Friday in anticipation of Typhoon Champi's arrival. The government has suspended work and classes for the entire day across 20 of the island's 22 counties and cities. Additionally, airlines have canceled domestic flights along with 40 international flights.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Kinmen County, located near China's Fujian coast, and most areas of Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan will continue regular operations on Friday, as they lie outside the typhoon's primary impact zone.

Typhoon Champi, which has been downgraded to a moderate typhoon, is forecasted to pass closest to Taiwan around 2 am on Saturday, local time (1800 GMT Friday). The Central Weather Administration of Taiwan has indicated that there remains a possibility of the storm making landfall. The strongest impacts of the typhoon are expected from Friday through Saturday morning, with weather conditions anticipated to improve by Saturday afternoon.

As of Thursday evening, Typhoon Champi was positioned approximately 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Taiwan's southern tip, Eluanbi, moving northwest at a speed of 18 kilometers per hour (11 miles per hour). Heavy rain advisories have been issued for several regions, with rainfall expected to intensify from Thursday evening through Saturday morning.