Typhoon Champi
Overview
Typhoon Champi is the name of a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Northwest Pacific. It is a name submitted by Laos and means 'plumeria (frangipani) flower.' In 2015, it developed into a super typhoon-class storm and passed near the Northern Mariana Islands, and in 2021 it formed in the Philippine Sea and moved northward but dissipated without causing major damage to land. Because typhoon names are used on a rotating basis, the same name reappears at intervals of several years.
Main Content
Origin of the Name and Naming Rules
The names of Northwest Pacific typhoons are managed by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) located in Tokyo, Japan, and the names submitted by 14 member countries, 10 each, are used in sequence on a rotating basis. 'Champi' is a name submitted by Laos and refers to the plumeria flower in Lao. After a name has been used, if a typhoon causes unprecedented major loss of life or property damage, that name is permanently retired and replaced with a new name. Champi has not yet been included in the retirement list and is still being reused.
Typhoon Champi in 2015
Champi, which formed in the Northwest Pacific in mid-October 2015, rapidly strengthened and developed into a super typhoon (Category 4–5) with its central pressure dropping to the 900 hPa range. The typhoon passed near the Northern Mariana Islands, causing strong winds and high waves, but its track then turned northeastward, and it moved along the sea without making direct landfall on the Japanese archipelago. At the time, Japan's Pacific coastal areas were placed under indirect influence from swell and high waves.
Typhoon Champi in 2021
Champi, which formed in October 2021 over the sea east of the Philippine Sea, remained at a relatively weak tropical storm level. It moved westward toward the Philippines, then changed course northward and passed east of Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands, and did not directly affect the Korean Peninsula or the Chinese mainland. That year, Champi passed through waters with high sea surface temperatures but failed to develop rapidly due to the influence of dry air intrusion and vertical shear.
Structural Characteristics
Northwest Pacific typhoons, including Champi, generally occur concentrated from July to October, and their tracks are determined by the positions of the trade wind belt and the subtropical high. Typhoons that occur in autumn, like Champi, tend to maintain strong intensity because sea surface temperatures remain high, while they are characterized by faster movement and greater track variability due to the influence of upper-level westerlies.
Latest Trends
As of 2024–2025, the typhoon name list is managed through periodic updates by the WMO Typhoon Committee, and Champi remains a valid reusable name. Recently, as the accuracy of satellites and numerical forecast models has improved, the reliability of typhoon track and intensity forecasts has improved, and countries on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia are strengthening typhoon monitoring and response systems. In addition, as research results are being published one after another suggesting that the frequency of autumn super typhoons may increase due to climate change, the need for vigilance against autumn typhoons such as Champi is also growing. Meanwhile, meteorological agencies in various countries continue to promote public awareness campaigns and disaster response publicity campaigns using typhoon names.
Related Topics
- [[Typhoon]]
- [[Northwest Pacific]]
- [[Tropical Cyclone]]