Typhoon Bavi Bears Down on Taiwan and China After Killing 15 in Philippines

Typhoon Bavi, a massive storm spanning roughly 1,000 kilometres in diameter, is bearing down on Taiwan and southeastern China after causing deadly landslides in the Philippines that killed at least 15 people. Meteorologists have warned the system could be one of the strongest typhoons to strike the region in decades.

Deadly Toll in the Philippines

Before reaching Taiwan and China, Typhoon Bavi swept across the Philippines, where torrential rains unleashed landslides that claimed at least 15 lives. Rescue teams worked to reach communities cut off by collapsed roads and flooded lowland areas as the storm continued to track northwestward.

Taiwan and China Brace for Impact

Authorities in Taiwan and southeastern China have issued warnings and begun evacuation preparations as the enormous weather system approaches. The typhoon's sheer size — a diameter of approximately 1,000 km — means that even areas far from its centre are expected to experience severe winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Officials urged residents in coastal and low-lying zones to move to higher ground ahead of landfall.

One of the Strongest in Decades

Forecasters described Typhoon Bavi as potentially among the most destructive storms to hit the region in many years. Such systems intensify rapidly over warm Pacific Ocean waters during the summer typhoon season, and climate scientists note that rising sea surface temperatures are increasingly linked to more powerful storms forming more quickly. Emergency services across the region are on high alert as Bavi's arrival draws closer.