Taipei:Schools and offices throughout Taiwan's main island, excluding Taitung County, as well as the outlying islands of Penghu and Matsu, will be closed on Friday due to Typhoon Champi, officials announced on Thursday.

According to Focus Taiwan, local governments in multiple regions including Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and County, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi City and County, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Hualien, Pingtung, and Lienchiang declared closures for Friday. The Taitung County government also announced closures in Lanyu and Green Island, while Kinmen County will remain open.

As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, Typhoon Champi was located approximately 450 kilometers east of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, moving northwest at 18 kilometers per hour. It is projected to change course to a north-northwest direction. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported the typhoon's maximum sustained winds at 173 kilometers per hour near its center, with a radius of 320 kilometers for Beaufort scale 7 or higher winds and 160 kilometers for scale 10 or higher winds.

A land warning was issued earlier by the CWA for Taiwan's main island, with potential extensions to Penghu and Matsu. Wu Wan-hua, deputy director of CWA's Weather Forecast Center, indicated that the typhoon might slow and potentially behave erratically as it nears Taiwan, with its center expected within 80 kilometers from late Friday night to early Saturday morning, making landfall a possibility.

Rainfall is anticipated to intensify from Thursday evening, peaking from Friday through Saturday morning. Northern and northeastern Taiwan will experience widespread showers with locally heavy and torrential rain, especially in mountainous areas. Central and eastern Taiwan will have scattered showers, while isolated showers are expected in southern and southeastern regions. Heavy rain may also occur in the mountains of Taichung and Hualien.

On Saturday, northern Taiwan will continue to face widespread showers with local heavy and torrential rain possible, while eastern and mountainous central regions will see scattered showers. The storm is expected to move away from Taiwan by Saturday evening, According to CWA.