Typhoon Champi (Typhoon No. 30)

A document summarizing the origin of the typhoon name Champi submitted by Laos, the numbering system for Typhoon No. 30, formation conditions, and preparedness measures.

Typhoon Champi (Typhoon No. 30)

Overview

Champi (참피) is a name on the Northwest Pacific typhoon naming list and was submitted by Laos (라오스). 'Champi' derives from a term referring to a flowering tree grown in tropical regions (Plumeria, also known as frangipani), and the same name is used cyclically across multiple years. The notation 'Typhoon No. 30' is a number assigned to the 30th tropical cyclone that developed into a typhoon during a year, counted in order of occurrence; it is a rare number that appears only in years when typhoons occur with unusual frequency.

Main content

Naming method and origin of 'Champi'

Northwest Pacific typhoon names are assigned in order from a pre-set list of 140 names, with 10 names submitted by each of the 14 member countries and regions participating in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO; 세계기상기구) Typhoon Committee. Laos submitted names taken from flowers, nature, and local culture, and Champi is one of them. Because the name list is reused from the beginning after one cycle, the same name reappears at intervals of 4 to 5 years. However, if a named typhoon causes unusually severe damage, that name is permanently deleted (retired) from the list and replaced with a new name.

Meaning of the number 'No. 30'

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA; 기상청) assigns numbers such as No. 1, No. 2, No. 3... to typhoons that occur in the Northwest Pacific from January 1 of each year in order of occurrence. On average, the annual number of typhoon occurrences is around 25, so the number 30 is statistically uncommon. In years when El Niño develops strongly or when the monsoon trough remains active for a long period, the number of occurrences has approached or exceeded 30, and only in such years does a Typhoon No. 30 exist. In other words, 'Typhoon No. 30' is not a unique grade of a specific typhoon but an administrative notation indicating the order of typhoon occurrence in that year.

Formation sea area and movement pattern

The typhoon that receives the 30th name in the Northwest Pacific usually occurs from September to November. It forms in the sea east of the Philippines or the South China Sea, where sea surface temperatures remain high, and mainly follows one of two paths: moving north toward the Korean Peninsula along the edge of the North Pacific High, or moving west toward southern China and Taiwan. Typhoons that occur in late autumn are affected by the westerlies, speed up, and often bring strong winds and heavy rain in the process of transforming into extratropical cyclones.

Past cases of the name 'Champi'

The name Champi has been used in several years to date. Known cases include typhoons that occurred in 2015 and 2021; in both cases, they did not make direct landfall on the Korean Peninsula, so domestic damage was not large. Champi in 2015 developed in the waters near the Mariana Islands, moved northeast, and weakened; Champi in 2021 formed in the open sea east of the Philippines and dissipated over the sea. However, a case in which Champi was organized under the number 'Typhoon No. 30' is not clearly confirmed in official records, so this entry focuses on the name Champi itself and on explaining the typhoon numbering system.

Impacts and preparedness

The danger of a typhoon depends on its track and speed and the amount of surrounding water vapor inflow rather than on its maximum sustained wind speed at the center. Late-autumn typhoons easily cause localized torrential rain as warm, humid air flows into an atmosphere that is already cold. Recommended preparedness measures are: ① frequently check Korea Meteorological Administration typhoon information and disaster text messages; ② avoid approaching coastal areas, riversides, and steep slopes; ③ secure windows and objects on rooftops and inspect drains; and ④ prepare auxiliary batteries and emergency drinking water in case of power outages. Ships and flights should check prior cancellation and diversion information.

Latest trends

As of 2024–2025, the Typhoon Committee continues the process of retiring names that caused major damage and replacing them with new names, and discussions on replacing names of typhoons that affected the Korean Peninsula are also held regularly. As sea surface temperatures rise due to climate change, an increasing trend is reported in 'rapidly intensifying typhoons,' cases in which the category rises greatly within 24 hours. Accordingly, the Korea Meteorological Administration is strengthening short-term intensity forecasting that combines geostationary meteorological satellite and ocean observation data, and is automating and standardizing the numbering and naming procedures in preparation for years in which the number of typhoon occurrences reaches 30. In addition, it is consistently pointed out that typhoons occurring late, such as No. 30, can arrive after the previous year's disaster prevention schedule has ended, so the autumn disaster prevention system must be maintained until the end of the year.