Flight disruptions and cancellations surged across East Asia as Typhoon Champi approaches Taiwan, prompting emergency precautions in eastern mainland China, including Shanghai, and in Japan during a large-scale joint military drill with the US.

Taiwan’s transport ministry said 262 local flights and 715 international and cross-strait flights had been cancelled as of 10am on Friday.

The island’s largest airports – Taiwan Taoyuan, Taipei Songshan, Kaohsiung and Taichung – faced large-scale flight cancellations as of Friday, according to the flight-tracking platform DAST.

Meanwhile, 14 airports across eastern mainland China were expected to be affected in the coming days, including nine in Zhejiang province, a major manufacturing and tech hub, and one in Fujian province.

They include Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Hangzhou Xiaoshan, Ningbo Lishe and Wenzhou Longwan.

Authorities in Shanghai have ordered the evacuation and relocation of residents in high-risk zones including Pudong, Jinshan and Chongming by 6pm Friday.

Mainland media reported that a total of 540 flood shelters and 7,992 temporary emergency stations had been fully prepared to house displaced residents in China’s commercial and financial capital.

In addition, 188 offshore fishing vessels have returned to ports for shelter, while safety inspections and reinforcements have been carried out on tower cranes, outdoor signboards and roadside trees.

All outdoor high-altitude operations have been completely suspended, with multiple emergency response teams placed on standby.

In Jinshan, which borders Hangzhou Bay and Zhejiang, workers at a local kiwi orchard rushed against the clock to harvest ripe fruits before the typhoon arrived.

Across Shanghai, local flood-control authorities have lowered water levels in rivers and lakes across the city to expand storage capacity and protect residential areas. And maritime officials in Jinshan on Thursday instructed vessels to move to safer waters. Mainland airlines have also taken action in anticipation of travel disruptions.

To accommodate stranded travellers, Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and other carriers have offered free rebooking or full refunds for passengers flying to and from the affected Taiwan airports.

After peaking on Wednesday as a super typhoon and one of the year’s strongest storms, Typhoon Champi weakened to a severe typhoon on Thursday.

The storm has since maintained its intensity, packing winds that reach up to 162km/h (101mph) near its centre, according to mainland China’s National Meteorological Centre.

Between Friday night and Saturday morning, Champi is expected to weaken as it approaches Taiwan’s northeastern coast, possibly brushing past the island.

The typhoon is then forecast to move north along Zhejiang’s eastern coast on Sunday, possibly skimming the mainland province, before turning northeast towards Japan.

The national forecaster has issued a blue typhoon warning for Champi, the lowest level in China’s four-tier system. Champi is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds to eastern China.

Mainland state news agency Xinhua reported that heavy rainfall was forecast to swell the Jiaoxi River in Fujian and several coastal waterways in Zhejiang, including the Feiyun and Oujiang rivers, as well as Taihu Lake, a major freshwater lake in eastern China, and its surrounding river network. Some smaller rivers in Zhejiang could exceed warning levels, with a heightened risk of flash floods in hilly areas.

On Thursday, mainland authorities activated emergency responses for Shanghai, Zhejiang and Fujian, urging local departments to step up weather monitoring, forecasting and early-warning measures.

Owing to strong gales, 56 coastal ferry routes, 130 passenger ferries and 111 maritime construction projects across Fujian were suspended as of Thursday, according to local media reports.

Among the halted routes are four ferry services connecting Fujian and the outlying Taiwan-controlled islands of Quemoy, also called Kinmen, and Matsu. The routes serve as vital corridors for direct trade, travel and postal transit.

Ahead of Champi’s predicted path to Japan, the island nation is bracing for the storm as well.

Major Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines, Peach Aviation, Skymark Airlines and Solaseed Air cancelled more than 170 flights between Friday and Saturday, disrupting travel for nearly 16,000 passengers, according to local media reports. Japan Airlines on Friday said it had cancelled flights to Taipei Songshan and Taiwan Taoyuan.

Champi is also disrupting “Keen Sword”, a massive military drill between Japan and the United States taking place around Japanese islands near Taiwan, according to Reuters.

The exercise is conducted every two years, rehearsing Japan’s defence through coordinated land, sea and air operations, including missile drills and amphibious landings.

Starting this past Monday and running through next Thursday, the exercise reportedly involves about 45,000 Japanese Self-Defence Forces personnel and 12,000 US troops, making it one of the largest joint drills ever held by the two allies.

“Training activities are being adjusted on a day-to-day basis to ensure the safety of all participants,” the American military was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US and Japan, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.