China, Taiwan, and Japan are preparing for what could become one of the most devastating tropical storms to hit the region in years as Super Typhoon Bavi moves steadily across the . Spanning nearly 1,000 kilometres, the massive weather system is carrying sustained winds of close to 200 km/h.
Satellite observations indicate that Bavi stretches across around 940,000 square kilometres, making it almost nine times the size of China’s Zhejiang province and roughly 850 times larger than Hong Kong by land area.
According to China’s National Meteorological Centre, the typhoon is expected to pass close to northern Taiwan before making landfall in Fujian province on July 11.
Taiwan prepares for heavy rain
Weather officials in say storms of Bavi’s scale have become increasingly uncommon.
Jason Chang, a forecaster at Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, said storms of this size have been “fairly rare in recent years” and that Bavi is expected to be the island’s largest typhoon by size since 1987.
Authorities have warned that mountainous areas north of Taipei could receive up to one metre of rainfall. Around 29,000 troops have been placed on standby as officials prepare for what may be Taiwan’s strongest typhoon since Kong-rey struck in 2024.
In the port town of Suao, fishing vessels crowded into the harbour for protection from the approaching storm. Residents collected sandbags to safeguard their homes, while farmers hurried to harvest rice before conditions deteriorated.
“Don’t be fooled by the nice and calm weather now. A storm like this could be the most terrifying,” said Chen Ming-hui, a 60-year-old fishing captain, as quoted by Reuters.
Japan issues warnings for Okinawa
is also bracing for severe weather as the typhoon is forecast to move close to the Sakishima Islands in Okinawa Prefecture between Friday and Saturday while retaining much of its strength.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that wind gusts could reach 180 km/h on Friday before increasing to as much as 252 km/h on Saturday, powerful enough to cause significant structural damage.
Forecasters expect rainfall of up to 50 millimetres an hour across the Sakishima Islands. Between Friday noon and Saturday noon, some areas could receive as much as 300 millimetres of rain. Authorities have also warned of waves exceeding 10 metres and the risk of coastal flooding caused by storm surges.
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China still recovering from Typhoon Maysak
As Bavi approaches, rescue teams in China continue search operations following the devastation caused by Typhoon Maysak earlier this week in Guangxi. Local authorities said at least 39 people have died, while nine others remain missing.
The worst-hit area was Hengzhou, where 26 people lost their lives after part of a reservoir dam collapsed, sending floodwaters into the city.
Flooding also struck Guigang Zoo, where three lions died after rising waters submerged parts of the facility. Damage to animal enclosures allowed more than 100 animals, including zebras, ostriches, peacocks and raccoons, to escape.
Elsewhere in Guangxi, more than 12,000 teachers and students stranded inside school buildings by floodwaters were rescued by boat.
Flights cancelled as storm nears
Air travel across the region has already been affected by the approaching typhoon.
Japan Airlines cancelled 48 domestic and two international services scheduled for July 10, disrupting travel plans for about 7,610 passengers. All Nippon Airways suspended 34 flights serving Okinawa, impacting roughly 1,800 travellers, and announced that another 33 domestic flights would be cancelled on July 11.
In China, the National Meteorological Centre raised its typhoon warning to orange, the country’s second-highest alert level. Residents in several eastern provinces have been buying emergency supplies and reinforcing homes by taping windows ahead of the storm.
Taiwan’s main international airport has also cancelled all flights scheduled for Saturday because of Typhoon Bavi.
