Typhoon Bavi churned through the East China Sea today, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to Japan’s southern islands as Taiwan and eastern China braced for landfall.
The typhoon, with maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometres per hour, was forecast to pass north of Taiwan before making landfall in China’s Zhejiang province early tomorrow.
In Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, more than 200 flights were cancelled as authorities warned of storm surges and high waves. In Taiwan, schools and government offices remained closed. Authorities said at least 36 people were injured and more than 14,000 residents were evacuated.
Meanwhile, China has issued an orange alert for the typhoon and a red alert for heavy rainfall. Thousands of people were relocated from coastal areas of Fujian province, while emergency rescue teams were deployed.
Ferry services and several high-speed rail operations were suspended as the storm approached.