A massive storm system is threatening parts of East Asia as Typhoon Bavi tracks across the Pacific Ocean. The typhoon, which spans 1,000km (620 miles) at its widest point—roughly the width of France—has already caused significant loss of life in the southern Philippines.
Landslides triggered by the storm have killed at least 15 people on the island of Mindanao, where rescue operations for missing persons remain ongoing.
Officials have warned that moderate to heavy rains will continue to drench parts of the country throughout the weekend.
As the storm moves toward Taiwan, authorities have issued severe warnings, with the island's Central Weather Administration noting that Bavi could be the largest storm by size to hit the island since 1987. Up to 1m (39 inches) of rainfall is expected, and the island's defense ministry has placed 29,000 soldiers on standby for potential relief efforts.
Across the region, residents have been securing property, with thousands of sandbags distributed to flood-prone areas.
Farmers have rushed to harvest or protect their crops while the weather held earlier on Friday, and fishermen have worked to secure their vessels. "Don't be fooled by the nice and calm weather now. A storm like this could be the most terrifying," 60-year-old fisherman Chen Ming-hui told Reuters.
Japan is also on high alert, particularly on the remote Sakishima Islands, where residents have been seen taping up windows and draping windproof nets across their homes and shops. The travel sector has faced widespread disruption, with Japan Airlines cancelling more than 100 flights for Friday and Saturday, affecting nearly 20,000 passengers.
All Nippon Airways has cancelled more than 160 flights through Sunday, also impacting about 20,000 people. Furthermore, Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines have grounded flights to and from Taipei.
China is preparing for a significant impact as the typhoon is expected to make landfall in the south-eastern Fujian province before potentially moving northward. Ma Jun, director of China's Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, warned that northern provinces, which have less experience with such storms compared to the south, should strengthen their preparations.
Some forecasts suggest the storm could make landfall twice in China, with its remnants and outer rainbands potentially moving from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces toward the Bohai Sea region.
This looming threat comes as parts of southern China are still reeling from the devastation brought by Typhoon Maysak earlier this week. That storm left at least 39 people dead, with rescuers still searching for missing individuals.
Typhoon Maysak resulted in massive agriculture loss, killed large swathes of livestock, and triggered two rare tornadoes in the central Hubei province, with more than 130,000 people evacuated, mostly in the Guangxi region.
Across the region currently bracing for Bavi, dozens of flights have been cancelled and schools have suspended classes. Supermarket shelves have been wiped clean as residents stock up on essential supplies ahead of the typhoon's arrival.
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