Satellite imagery shows Super Typhoon Champi off Taiwan and the Philippines
The European Space Agency has published Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery of Super Typhoon Champi, taken on 21 Oct off the coasts of Taiwan and the Philippines. The agency says the storm's eye spans about 50 km and that Champi is the strongest tropical cyclone recorded so far this year, with maximum sustained winds of 296 km per hour. Cloud-top temperatures at its centre fall as low as -70 °C, and waves near the centre reached up to 10 m. The storm brought serious flooding and damage across eastern Taiwan.
Key facts
- Champi's maximum sustained winds of 296 km per hour make it the strongest cyclone of the year so far.
- Cloud-top temperatures near the centre fall to -70 °C, indicating very intense convection.
Summarised with AI from 1 sourceRead our AI policy
Why it matters
The imagery documents a very intense storm that has already caused flooding and damage in eastern Taiwan.
What changed
First published from ESA