Taiwan Orders October 23 Typhoon Closures as Transport, Markets and Major Events Halt

Closures spread across Taiwan ahead of the strongest winds

Schools and offices across almost all of Taiwan's main island will close on Friday, October 23, as an approaching typhoon brings warnings of destructive gusts, intense rain and dangerous seas. By 8 p.m. on October 22, closures had also been announced for Penghu and Matsu, while financial trading, hospital appointments, public transport and major sporting and entertainment events faced disruption.

Taitung County is the main island exception, although schools and offices on its offshore islands of Lanyu and Green Island will close. Kinmen will operate as usual.

The closure announcements refer to Typhoon Champi, while the initial forecast information identifies the storm as Bualoi. The storm's name requires confirmation. The weather and service arrangements described here concern the approaching system and the October 23 closures.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued sea and land typhoon warnings, with the land warning covering the entire main island. At 5 p.m. on October 22, the storm was about 450 kilometers east of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving northwest at 18 kilometers per hour.

The storm had weakened to moderate typhoon strength, but maximum sustained winds near its center were still 48 meters per second, equivalent to about 173 kilometers per hour. Winds of Beaufort force 7 or above extended 320 kilometers from the center, while winds of force 10 or above extended 160 kilometers.

Those measurements explain the broad disruption: dangerous weather can reach communities hundreds of kilometers from the center, even if the center stays offshore.

When will the typhoon be closest?

CWA forecaster Lin Bing-yu said the storm was expected to be offshore east of Taiwan at 2 p.m. on October 23 and closest to the island at about 2 a.m. on October 24. The forecast track then turned north.

Wu Wan-hua, deputy director of the CWA's Weather Forecast Center, said the center could pass within 80 kilometers of Taiwan from late Friday night into early Saturday. She warned that its movement could become erratic as it approached and that it was expected to move slowly on Friday and Saturday. Landfall remained possible.

The strongest effects across Taiwan were expected from Friday through the first half of Saturday, followed by improvement from south to north. The storm's broad wind circulation was expected to move away from the main island by Saturday evening. New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi gave a longer local danger period, from Friday morning through Saturday evening.

The main dates and forecast milestones are:

• October 22: Sea and land warnings were in effect, and local governments announced Friday closures.
• October 23: Schools, offices and many services close as rain and wind intensify.
• Late October 23 to early October 24: The storm is forecast to make its closest approach.
• October 24: Conditions are expected to improve gradually, with the wind circulation moving away by evening.
• October 27: Taiwan's stock market and Taipei foreign exchange market are expected to reopen after the storm closure, weekend and October 26 holiday.

Rainfall and coastal winds bring different risks

Northern and northeastern Taiwan face the most widespread rain on Friday, with torrential rain possible, especially in mountainous areas. Hualien, Yilan and central mountain districts also face heavy rainfall. Northern Taiwan was expected to remain rainy from Friday night into early Saturday, with heavy rain possible in central and southern mountain areas and Hualien.

New Taipei's northern, eastern and southern areas were forecast to receive accumulated rainfall of 350 millimeters. Hou said the forecast met the threshold for stopping work and classes. A rainfall total of 350 millimeters means enough water to cover a flat surface to a depth of 35 centimeters if none drained away.

Gusts of Beaufort force 12 or higher were forecast along the north coast, in Yilan, along the central coast, on Lanyu and Green Island, and on the Hengchun Peninsula. The Beaufort scale describes wind strength; force 12 reaches hurricane strength.

Matsu faces a different balance of hazards. Its weather station forecast rainfall within 50 millimeters, but offshore winds of force 8 to 9, gusts reaching force 11 and waves as high as 6 meters. The strongest effects there were expected on October 23 and 24. Lianjiang County announced its Friday closure at 8 p.m.

The CWA did not expect the storm to combine with the northeasterly monsoon over Taiwan. The forecast still called for substantial rain and strong winds from the typhoon itself.

Which places are closing schools and offices?

Friday closures cover Keelung, Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and County, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi City and County, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Hualien and Pingtung. Penghu and Lianjiang County, which administers Matsu, also announced closures.

Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Taoyuan coordinated their decisions. New Taipei said the forecast wind strength met closure standards, while Miaoli said its forecast conditions also reached the required threshold.

Taitung's arrangement is more limited: Lanyu and Green Island will close, while the rest of the county remains outside the broad Friday shutdown. Kinmen's schools and offices will operate normally.

The local decisions affect more than school attendance and office opening hours. They also determine changes to municipal transport, rubbish collection, routine medical care and scheduled public events, with different arrangements in each city.

Stock trading stops until October 27

The Taiwan Stock Exchange announced that its centralized securities market would close for the whole of October 23 after Taipei declared a work suspension. Securities firms will also stop business that day under the exchange's natural disaster procedures.

Payments and securities deliveries due for settlement on Friday will be postponed. Settlement is the final exchange of money and shares after a trade, so investors with transactions awaiting completion face a change in their timetable.

Trading is expected to resume on Tuesday, October 27. October 26 is an observed holiday for Taiwan Retrocession Day, extending the break beyond the weekend. Taipei's foreign exchange market is also expected to close on Friday and resume on October 27, pausing local trading in the New Taiwan dollar against the US dollar.

International currency markets will continue operating during the Taiwan closure. Changes in major currencies and other financial markets during the break may therefore be reflected when local trading resumes.

HannStar Board Corporation, stock code 5469, and Gold Circuit Electronics, stock code 6191, also postponed their joint investor briefing. Originally scheduled for October 23, 2026, the meeting will now take place on October 28.

Hsinchu suspends transport and rubbish collection

Hsinchu City will suspend city buses, including Happiness Taxi services, along with YouBike bicycles and GoShare shared scooters on October 23. Service restoration will be announced through the relevant apps and official channels.

Household rubbish, food waste, recycling and communal bin collection will also stop. Previously registered collections of large household furniture will continue. The city asked residents to keep rubbish and recycling off roadsides, where strong winds could scatter it or debris could block drains.

Street parking charges will be suspended, but public parking facilities away from the street will continue charging. Vehicles in Touqian River floodplain areas and plazas outside the embankment must be moved before midnight at the start of October 23. Vehicles left after the deadline face towing.

Hsinchu is temporarily allowing parking along red and yellow curb lines on roads under city management so drivers can move vehicles from low areas and underground parking spaces. Fire and emergency access lanes remain excluded. Vehicles must be removed promptly after the land typhoon warning is lifted.

Taoyuan changes buses, bicycles and parking rules

Taoyuan will suspend 101 Taoyuan minibus routes, Happiness Buses, tourist buses and free district bus services. YouBike services will stop at 2 a.m. on October 23, with resumption dependent on weather conditions.

Roadside parking charges will be suspended from 7 a.m. on Friday. Temporary parking along red and yellow curb lines becomes available from 10 p.m. on October 22, subject to safety restrictions.

Parking remains prohibited within 10 meters of intersections and bus stops, in front of fire hydrants, beside fire access routes, on bridges and in other places where vehicles would obstruct traffic or public safety. The temporary permission gives residents more places to move vehicles without blocking essential access.

Taoyuan's transport department urged residents to avoid unnecessary journeys. The listed suspensions concern specific local services, so passengers with other bus or connecting travel plans need to check their operator's arrangements.

Emergency care continues as routine appointments shrink

Hospitals across the affected cities are keeping emergency and inpatient care operating while reducing ordinary outpatient appointments. Several will offer limited typhoon clinics for patients who need care during the closure.

National Taiwan University Hospital, including its children's hospital, will run typhoon clinics and maintain emergency and inpatient services. Health checks will stop. Blood tests and ordinary X-rays will continue, while other outpatient examinations will be suspended. Taipei Veterans General Hospital will replace ordinary appointments with special clinics and suspend examinations and health checks.

Taipei Medical University Hospital will offer special clinics, while Mackay hospitals in Taipei and Tamsui will provide selected clinics and cancel evening appointments. Far Eastern Memorial Hospital will offer morning and afternoon typhoon clinics but suspend evening appointments, ordinary outpatient treatment and its shuttle service.

Dialysis will continue at several hospitals, including Taipei and Linkou Chang Gung, Cathay, Taipei Tzu Chi and Far Eastern Memorial. Dialysis removes waste and excess water from the blood when the kidneys cannot do so. Patients need to check their hospital's arrangements because appointment and transport services vary.

Hsinchu's three district health centers, vaccination services and long term care visits and services will stop. All six designated emergency hospitals will keep emergency departments open around the clock.

Limited clinics in Hsinchu include internal medicine and pediatrics at National Taiwan University Hospital's Hsinchu branch in both the morning and afternoon, morning internal medicine at Hsinchu Mackay, and morning and afternoon pediatrics at Hsinchu Municipal Mackay Children's Hospital. Hsinchu Cathay will suspend outpatient services. Hospitals advised patients to confirm the latest arrangements before traveling.

Baseball finals and Golden Bell ceremonies move

Game 5 of the Taiwan Series at Taipei Dome has been moved from October 23 to October 24 at 5:05 p.m. If needed, Game 6 will take place on October 25 at 5:05 p.m. and Game 7 on October 26 at 3:05 p.m.

The Wei Chuan Dragons lead the CTBC Brothers three games to one and need one more victory to secure their sixth championship. The Dragons had taken a three to zero lead before the Brothers won Game 4.

The postponement gives the Brothers an extra day of rest and more pitching options. Wu Li-chen had been scheduled to start Game 5, but the additional rest could allow a change. Chiang Han was expected to start for the Dragons.

The 61st Golden Bell Awards have also changed their schedule at the Taipei Music Center. The ceremony for television program categories moves from October 23 to October 25, while the drama ceremony remains scheduled for October 24. The red carpet event will take place inside the performance hall without general public admission.

Singer Gao Ming-chun's concert has been postponed to December 5. Japanese band Novelbright's October 24 concert in New Taipei has been moved to February 13 of the following year. Refund arrangements for Novelbright ticket holders unable to attend will be announced later.

Miaoli postpones election preparations

Miaoli County has moved its drawing of candidate ballot numbers from October 23 to October 27 because of the typhoon. The procedure assigns the numbers used to identify candidates on election ballots.

The drawing for county magistrate and county council candidates will take place at 9 a.m. in Zhongzheng Hall at the county government's Culture and Tourism Bureau. Township and city offices will arrange the drawings for local chief, representative and village chief candidates at their designated locations.

The election timetable joins financial trading, investor briefings and major events among the activities disrupted beyond Friday. The storm's closest approach is forecast for early Saturday, while some postponed activities will not resume until the following week or later.

Key Points

• Most of Taiwan's main island, plus Penghu and Matsu, will close schools and offices on October 23.
• Taitung will remain open except for Lanyu and Green Island; Kinmen will operate normally.
• The strongest weather is expected from Friday into Saturday, with the closest approach forecast for early Saturday.
• Northern Taiwan faces intense rain, while coastal areas and offshore islands face strong gusts and dangerous seas.
• Taiwan's stock market and Taipei foreign exchange market are expected to reopen on October 27.
• Hsinchu and Taoyuan are suspending specified transport services and changing parking arrangements.
• Emergency hospital services continue, but routine appointments, examinations and municipal health services are reduced.
• Taiwan Series Game 5 moves to October 24, and the Golden Bell program ceremony moves to October 25.