At least 15 people were killed in landslides in the Philippines as Typhoon Bavi moved closer to Taiwan on Friday, prompting large-scale evacuations, transport disruptions and emergency preparations across the region.The storm, described by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) as the largest typhoon to affect the island in more than three decades, is expected to batter northern and eastern Taiwan through Friday and Saturday before making landfall in eastern China. It is also forecast to affect Japan’s remote southwestern islands.In the Philippines, two landslides triggered by heavy rain associated with Typhoon Bavi killed at least 15 people and left six others missing on the southern island of Mindanao, authorities said.In Taiwan, more than 2,000 people, most of them from the mountainous eastern county of Hualien, were evacuated as officials monitored the risk of flooding, landslides and damage to barrier dams, according to news agency AFP.The CWA said Bavi’s maximum sustained wind speeds had eased to 155 kmph, with gusts reaching around 190 kmph.”The typhoon is likely to continue weakening because environmental conditions are not favourable,” CWA forecaster Wang Ping-hsiang told AFP. He added, “The greatest impact is expected in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung and Yilan, while the heaviest rainfall is forecast for mountainous areas in central and northern Taiwan.”Authorities said the typhoon’s strong-wind radius of 380 kilometres would make it the biggest storm to strike Taiwan in more than 30 years. Schools and businesses were closed across parts of northern and eastern Taiwan on Friday, while hundreds of flights were cancelled as residents rushed to prepare for the storm.Residents were seen taping windows, stacking sandbags outside shops and securing outdoor structures after authorities urged people to take precautions.The weather agency warned that Bavi could dump close to one metre of rain in some areas, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. Authorities also asked people to stay away from the coastline as waves of up to nine metres were forecast.Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged residents in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant. He called on people in regions expected to bear the brunt of the storm to remain on “high alert”.Officials said more than 28,000 troops, along with emergency machinery, equipment and vehicles, had been placed on standby to respond to any emergencies.Typhoon Bavi had earlier crossed Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as a super typhoon before weakening over the Pacific.In Japan, schools and government offices were closed in parts of the remote Sakashima islands as the storm approached.After passing near Taiwan and Japan, Bavi is expected to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.The storm comes after severe weather in southern and central China this week left at least 39 people dead, caused dozens of rivers to overflow and led to the failure of a reservoir dam, according to authorities.Scientists have warned that warmer ocean temperatures can intensify tropical storms by providing more energy and increasing atmospheric moisture. Last week, the European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said the world’s oceans recorded their hottest June on record and could continue to set new temperature highs in the coming months. The return of El Niño this year is also expected to influence weather patterns across the Pacific.
