Super typhoon Bavi, with gusts of wind reaching 227 km/h, is approaching Taiwan (China).
On the afternoon of July 9th, Taiwan's meteorological agency issued a warning about extremely strong winds as Typhoon Bavi approached the island. This is recorded as the largest typhoon since 1995, directly threatening the northern part of the island before continuing across mainland China.
According to data updated on the afternoon of July 9th, Typhoon Bavi is moving with maximum wind speeds of 184 km/h and gusts up to approximately 227 km/h. With a radius of strong winds reaching 380 km, meteorological experts confirm that this is the largest typhoon to approach the island in nearly three decades, since measurement methods were updated in 1995.
The typhoon is expected to make a direct landfall in the northern region on July 10th and 11th, particularly in Keelung port city and Yilan county. Experts warn that even areas far from the storm's center could experience strong gusts of wind causing significant damage.
Due to the critical situation, most ferry services connecting to offshore islands have been suspended. The coast guard is repeatedly urging people to stay away from coastal areas where waves of 4 to 6 meters have begun to appear in the south. At fishing ports, numerous fishermen have had to cancel their schedules, hastily bringing their boats to safe harbors weeks earlier than planned.
Not only affecting Taiwan, the remnants of Typhoon Bavi have also prompted a state of emergency in southwestern Japan. Authorities on the country's remote islands have decided to close schools and supermarkets tomorrow (July 10) and cancel dozens of flights.
After sweeping across Taiwan, Typhoon Bavi is expected to move into eastern China later this week. According to experts, the increased intensity of typhoons like Bavi is directly caused by record-high ocean surface temperatures. Combined with the return of El Niño, these extreme weather patterns are predicted to bring massive amounts of moisture, resulting in devastating rainstorms in the coming period.
