Taipei: Typhoon Bavi has brought strong winds and heavy rain to Japan's southern islands, while Taiwan and eastern China are bracing for the powerful storm with evacuations and heightened alerts.
With maximum sustained winds of 144 km/h (89 mph) near its centre, Typhoon Bavi is forecast to pass north of Taiwan on Saturday, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration. It is then expected to move towards Zhejiang in eastern China and, according to China's National Meteorological Centre, make landfall in the early hours of Sunday.
Across Japan's southern islands in Okinawa Prefecture, local authorities have warned of high waves, strong winds and storm surges, with more than 200 flights cancelled across the region, according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK. Strong winds and heavy rain have already lashed islands, including Ishigaki.
As of 8 am on Saturday, Taiwan's Central Emergency Operation Centre had recorded at least 36 injuries linked to Typhoon Bavi, many of them sustained by motorcyclists travelling on slippery roads during heavy rain and strong winds.
A total of 14,210 people had been evacuated across the island as of Saturday morning, including residents from the eastern county of Hualien and the central city of Taichung. Schools and offices in most parts of Taiwan remained closed on Saturday.
In southeastern China, coastal cities are preparing for the impact of Typhoon Bavi. In Ningde, Fujian Province, more than 3,700 people had been relocated from high-risk coastal areas as of Friday evening, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Authorities in Fujian have placed more than 17,000 emergency rescue personnel on standby.
China's National Meteorological Centre has issued an orange typhoon alert, the second-highest level in its four-tier warning system, with many schools closed and ferry services suspended. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, while some high-speed rail services have also been suspended.
The meteorological centre also issued the country's first red alert for rainstorms of the year on Saturday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
