Typhoon Bavi, currently about 1,000 kilometers wide—roughly the width of France—is forecast to skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in China's eastern Fujian province on Saturday evening, according to China's National Meteorological Centre.

With winds near 200 km/h, Bavi is anticipated to be one of the most powerful tropical storms in years affecting the region. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration forecaster Jason Chang told Reuters that storms of this size have been "fairly rare in recent years," and Bavi is set to be the largest storm by size to hit Taiwan since 1987.

Authorities in Taiwan expect up to 1 meter of rain in the northern mountains around Taipei. The island's defense ministry has placed about 29,000 soldiers on standby as it braces for what could be its most powerful typhoon since Kong-rey in 2024, which caused three fatalities.

Meanwhile, parts of China are still recovering from Typhoon Maysak, which swept through the southwestern Guangxi region earlier this week, killing at least 39 people. Rescue workers continue to comb through the wreckage. The China Global Times reported that three lions died in floodwaters at Guigang Zoo, and about 100 animals, including zebras, porcupines, parrots, and raccoons, remain missing.

In preparation for Bavi, All Nippon Airways announced it would cancel 34 flights mainly serving Okinawa's Ishigaki and Miyako airports on Friday, affecting approximately 1,800 passengers, with 33 additional domestic flights canceled on Saturday impacting 5,900 people.

Jason Nicholls, an expert at AccuWeather, noted, "Some loss of wind intensity is anticipated starting Thursday, but Bavi will remain a dangerous storm as it impacts Taiwan and eastern China later Friday into Monday."

Experts emphasize the need for vigilance as Bavi has spent considerable time intensifying over the open Pacific, drawing energy from warm ocean waters and accumulating moisture. Small changes in its track could have significant consequences, potentially causing catastrophic damage upon landfall or near coastal regions.

Sources