At least 15 people have died after landslides triggered by Typhoon Bavi struck the southern Philippines, while authorities across Taiwan, China and Japan intensify emergency preparations for the powerful storm.
The typhoon, stretching about 1,000 kilometres across at its widest point, is moving through the Pacific Ocean toward Taiwan and is forecast to reach southeastern China on Saturday after passing close to Taiwan and Japan’s remote island chain.
In the Philippines, the worst-hit area was Mindanao, where landslides buried several households overnight. Rescue teams continued searching for missing residents as persistent rainfall hampered operations.
Weather officials warned that moderate to intense showers would continue across parts of the country throughout the weekend.
Taiwan has issued widespread alerts, warning that the cyclone could unleash as much as one metre of rain in northern and eastern parts of the island.
The Ministry of National Defense has placed about 29,000 troops on standby to assist with rescue and recovery operations if required.
According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, Bavi is expected to become the largest storm by size to affect the island since 1987.
As the system approaches, residents have rushed to secure essential supplies, leaving supermarket shelves nearly empty in several communities.
Schools have suspended lessons, while numerous domestic and international flights have been called off across the region.
Farmers worked quickly to harvest crops before conditions deteriorated, while fishing communities reinforced boats and coastal facilities against expected destructive winds and heavy seas.
”People shouldn’t be misled by today’s calm conditions. A storm of this magnitude can become extremely dangerous,” fisherman Chen Ming-hui told Reuters.
Authorities have also distributed thousands of sandbags to businesses and households located in areas vulnerable to flooding.
Across the Taiwan Strait, Chinese officials warned that the weather system could have widespread consequences after making landfall in Fujian Province.
Experts said the storm’s enormous circulation could push heavy rainfall northward into Jiangsu, Anhui and even the Bohai Sea region.
Ma Jun, Director of China’s Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, urged northern provinces to strengthen disaster preparedness, noting that they have comparatively less experience managing severe tropical systems than southern China.
Meteorological forecasts also indicate that Bavi could strike China more than once before weakening.
In Japan, residents of the Sakishima Islands have reinforced homes and businesses by securing windows and installing protective coverings ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Air travel has also been severely disrupted.
Japan Airlines cancelled more than 100 services scheduled for Friday and Saturday, affecting nearly 20,000 passengers.
All Nippon Airways suspended over 160 flights through Sunday, impacting a similar number of travellers.
Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines also halted flights to and from Taipei as a precaution.
The approaching typhoon comes only days after Typhoon Maysak caused widespread destruction in southern China.
The earlier storm claimed at least 39 lives, displaced more than 130,000 people, mainly in Guangxi, and devastated farmland and livestock.
It also generated two uncommon tornadoes in Hubei Province, further compounding the damage.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong