Typhoon Champi Brushing Iwo Jima with Strong Winds

Quincy Vagell
Published: October 21,2015
Typhoon Champi continues to churn over the western North Pacific Ocean. It is brushing the island of Iō Tō, popularly known as Iwo Jima, as it curls toward the northeast on its way to eventually becoming post-tropical.
After strengthening into a super typhoon with 150-mph sustained winds for a time on Sunday, Champi has weakened. Here's the latest:

• Maximum sustained 1-minute-average winds were estimated at 115 mph as of Wednesday night mainland U.S. time, according to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
• Champi has begun to regain a bit of strength, but will not becoming nearly as intense as its prior super typhoon stature.
• Tropical storm-force winds were reported on Iwo Jima beginning at 5 a.m. Thursday Japan time (4 p.m. EDT Wednesday in the U.S.). Gusts have since reached as high as 70 mph.

Iwo Jima has a Japanese military presence, but no permanent population. The only populated islands affected are the Ogasawara Islands, which are farther from the center of Champi and therefore not as directly impacted. The island of Chichijima did briefly gust to tropical storm force Wednesday evening local time.
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Enhanced Satellite

Champi: Track Forecast

The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded Champi to a typhoon Thursday evening (mainland U.S. time), making it the 16th typhoon of 2015. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center followed suit in its 11 a.m. EDT advisory Friday.
Saipan reported sustained tropical storm-force winds for roughly four hours, along with a peak gust of 81 mph.
(FORECAST: Guam) 
Some Cape Air flights were cancelled due to Champi on Friday, according to the Pacific Daily News.
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