Overview
- The storm is striking northern and eastern Taiwan on Saturday with heavy rain, strong winds and coastal surges that have forced more than 14,000 people from their homes and cut power to over 27,000 households.
- Taiwanese authorities have suspended schools, work and transport and deployed tens of thousands of troops and emergency teams to support evacuations and dam and river monitoring.
- The typhoon has weakened from supertyphoon strength but retains a broad wind radius and the Central Weather Administration warns of extremely torrential rain and waves up to 10 meters that could trigger landslides and flash floods.
- Bavi already caused deadly landslides in the Philippines that killed at least 15 people and is forecast to reach eastern China on Sunday where authorities have ordered mass evacuations and warned of exceptionally heavy rain.
- Scientists and officials link the storm’s intensity to very warm oceans this June and El Niño, which boost storm moisture and rainfall and increase the risk of widespread infrastructure and agricultural damage.