At least 15 people were killed in landslides in the Philippines as Typhoon Bavi approached Taiwan on Friday, prompting widespread evacuations and disrupting transportation and emergency preparations across the region.The storm, which Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Administration described as the largest typhoon to hit the island in more than three decades, is expected to hit northern and eastern Taiwan on Friday and Saturday before making landfall in eastern China. The typhoon is also expected to affect outlying islands in southwestern Japan.In the Philippines, authorities said that two landslides caused by heavy rains linked to Hurricane Bavi killed at least 15 people and left six others missing on the southern island of Mindanao.In Taiwan, more than 2,000 people have been evacuated, most of them from the mountainous eastern Hualien County, while officials monitor the risks of floods, landslides and damage to buffer dams, according to Agence France-Presse.The CWA said maximum wind speeds in Pavey had fallen to 155 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching around 190 kilometers per hour.“The typhoon is likely to continue to weaken because the environmental conditions are not favourable,” Wang Ping-hsiang, a meteorologist at the National Meteorological Agency, told AFP.
“The greatest impact is expected in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan, while heavy rains are expected in mountainous areas in central and northern Taiwan,” he added.Authorities said the typhoon’s strong wind radius of 380 kilometers would make it the largest storm to hit Taiwan in more than 30 years. Schools and businesses were closed in parts of northern and eastern Taiwan on Friday, while hundreds of flights were canceled as residents rushed to prepare for the storm.Residents were seen taping up windows and stacking sandbags outside shops and securing outbuildings after authorities urged people to take precautions.The meteorological agency warned that Bafi could drop nearly a meter of rain in some areas, increasing the risk of floods and landslides. The authorities also asked people to stay away from the coast, where waves are expected to reach nine metres.Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant.
He called on people in areas expected to bear the brunt of the storm to remain on “high alert.”Officials said that more than 28,000 soldiers, along with emergency machinery, equipment and vehicles, have been placed on standby to respond to any emergencies.Hurricane Bavi had earlier crossed Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as a strong hurricane before weakening over the Pacific Ocean.In Japan, schools and government offices were closed in parts of the remote Sakashima Islands as the storm approached.After passing near Taiwan and Japan, Hurricane Bavi is expected to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.The storm comes after severe weather in southern and central China this week killed at least 39 people, caused dozens of rivers to overflow and a reservoir dam collapsed, according to authorities.Scientists have warned that rising ocean temperatures could intensify tropical storms by releasing more energy and increasing atmospheric humidity. Last week, the European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said the world’s oceans recorded their warmest June on record, and could continue to record new temperature highs in the coming months. The return of El Niño this year is also expected to impact weather patterns across the Pacific Ocean.