(Oct 21): One of the strongest storms of the current season is set to bring heavy rain and roaring winds to parts of East Asia in the next week, with major cities in Taiwan and China bracing for impact within days.

Super Typhoon Champi is within 1,000km (620 miles) of the Philippines’ coast, moving northwest with sustained wind speeds of up to 290km per hour — equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The storm is expected to skirt the northern Philippines before turning northwards on Friday off the coast of Taiwan, according to the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Though weakening steadily as it follows China’s eastern seaboard, including Shanghai, it’s still expected to bring severe winds and rain before making landfall in Japan on Sunday.

Currently a super typhoon, Champi will have weakened to become a severe tropical storm by the time it reaches land, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. It comes as a strengthening El Nino weather system in the Pacific is stirring up a dangerous mix of typhoons and hurricanes across the region, severely disrupting trade and causing billions of dollars in damage.

In its latest bulletin, the Philippines’ disaster agency said there could be heavy precipitation on Wednesday and Thursday in the country’s northern provinces. “Forecast rainfall may be higher in mountainous and elevated areas. Moreover, impacts in some areas may be worsened by significant antecedent rainfall,” the agency said.

Further north, Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said in its latest forecast that Champi will be closest to the island on Friday and Saturday. The storm is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains across northern and eastern parts of Taiwan, with the agency saying it could issue a sea warning as soon as Wednesday night and a land warning on Thursday.

Taipei City mayor Chiang Wan-an said on Tuesday that the city would make a decision on whether to close offices and schools based on existing procedures. It is widely expected that the city will announce the decision on Thursday night, potentially leading to a closure of Taiwan markets.

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