Tokyo: Japan is preparing to brace for Typhoon Bawhi as the powerful storm approaches the country's remote southern and southwestern islands. Authorities have issued warnings of strong winds, heavy rain, landslides, and flooding, signaling it could be the most destructive typhoon in the region in years.
According to Thai News Agency, on Friday morning, Typhoon Bavi neared Japan's Sakishima Islands, located close to Taiwan, with maximum sustained winds near its center reaching 162 kilometers per hour. This has prompted residents in the area to take precautionary measures, such as taping windows shut and erecting windbreaks on homes and businesses.
As a result of the impending typhoon, dozens of flights in the region have been cancelled by various airlines, including those scheduled for Saturday. On Ishigaki Island, a popular tourist destination within the Sakishima Islands, residents are stockpiling supplies, leading to a complete sell-out of instant noodles in local supermarkets. Public beaches, coastal parks, and ferry ports in the area have also been closed in anticipation of the storm.
In Taiwan, financial markets and most agencies in the northern and eastern regions were closed today. The Taipei local government has set up service points for the public to collect sandbags. Although Typhoon Bawhi is not expected to make direct landfall in Taiwan, it is predicted to bring heavy rainfall across the island, with some areas potentially experiencing up to 1 meter of accumulated rain starting from Friday evening.
The Taiwanese government has evacuated more than 1,000 people, primarily from mountainous areas on the east coast, and nearly 29,000 troops are on standby to assist with disaster relief efforts. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te posted on his personal Facebook page that although the typhoon had weakened slightly and been downgraded to a moderate typhoon, it still poses a threat with its large radius capable of bringing strong winds and heavy rain.
In response to the approaching typhoon, Taiwanese airlines have announced the cancellation of all flights on Saturday departing from Taoyuan International Airport, located on the outskirts of Taipei. Additionally, TSMC, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, has postponed the release of its June sales data, originally scheduled for this Friday, to Monday.
Typhoon Bavi is expected to make landfall near Wenzhou, a city in eastern China with a population of approximately 10 million, on Saturday evening.