Taiwan and eastern China prepare for Typhoon Bavi, which could be the island's largest storm since 1987 and strongest since 2024, with winds nearing 200 kph.
Authorities issued evacuation and weather warnings, airlines cancelled dozens of flights in Japan, and experts warned Bavi could cause catastrophic damage if it makes landfall at its forecast strength.
China and Taiwan prepared on Thursday for Typhoon Bavi, a powerful storm packing winds of nearly 200 kph (124 mph), as it approached Taiwan while parts of southern China were still recovering from the devastation caused by Typhoon Maysak.
Authorities in Taiwan urged residents to stock up on essential supplies and brace for what could be the island's most powerful typhoon since 2024.
Bavi, spanning about 1,000 km (621 miles) at its widest point – roughly the width of France – was forecast to skirt northern Taiwan before making landfall in China's eastern Fujian province on Saturday evening, according to China's National Meteorological Centre.
The storm is expected to be the largest to affect Taiwan since 1987, according to Jason Chang, a forecaster with Taiwan's Central Weather Administration.
"Fairly rare in recent years," Chang told Reuters, referring to storms of Bavi's size.
The latest threat comes as China continues to deal with the aftermath of Typhoon Maysak, which battered the southwestern region of Guangxi. Local officials said at least 39 people were killed in flooding caused by the storm, while nine others remained missing.
Scientists say China, Japan and Taiwan are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather linked to climate change. Forecasters have also warned that the expected emergence of El Nino this year could raise temperatures and contribute to more frequent and intense typhoons.
If Bavi maintains its projected strength, it would become the most powerful typhoon in the Asia-Pacific region since Super Typhoon Kong-rey in 2024, according to commercial weather forecaster AccuWeather.
"Some loss of wind intensity is anticipated starting Thursday, but Bavi will remain a dangerous storm as it impacts Taiwan and eastern China later Friday into Monday," said Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather's international forecasting expert.
In the northeastern Taiwanese port town of Suao, hundreds of fishing boats crowded into the harbour for shelter as residents collected sandbags from local authorities and farmers rushed to harvest rice before the storm arrived.
Chen Ming-hui, a 60-year-old captain of a three-metric-ton fishing vessel, said to Reuters he hoped the typhoon would shift further north and avoid a direct hit.
"Don't be fooled by the nice and calm weather now. A storm like this could be the most terrifying," Chen said while checking the ropes securing his boat.
About 111 km (68 miles) southwest of Suao, authorities in Japan's Okinawa prefecture warned residents to remain on high alert through Friday and Saturday for violent winds, landslides, flooding and storm surges.
The remnants of Typhoon Maysak also spawned at least two inland tornadoes and severe flooding in China's central Hubei province.
Chinese state media reported that floodwaters allowed more than 100 animals to escape from Guigang Zoo, including two zebras, four porcupines, dozens of parrots, two North American raccoons, eight pheasants and several other species.
The Global Times reported that three lions at the zoo died in the flooding. Wang Liyuan, the zoo's operator, said one sika deer had been rescued by local villagers, while brown bears and wolves from the zoo's "beast zone" survived but were left in poor condition after nearly drowning.
Japan Airlines said it had cancelled 48 domestic flights scheduled for Friday because of the approaching typhoon, affecting about 7,610 passengers.
ANA said it would cancel 34 flights serving Okinawa's Ishigaki and Miyako airports on Friday, affecting around 1,800 passengers, with another 33 domestic flights due to be cancelled on Saturday, disrupting travel for about 5,900 people.
"We should pay much attention to Bavi as it has spent a long time intensifying over the open Pacific, extracting energy from warm ocean and accumulating large amounts of moisture," said Xiangbo Feng, a research scientist specialising in tropical cyclones at Imperial College London, Reuters reported.
"When it would make landfall or get close to coastal regions, the damage could be catastrophic. A small change in Bavi's track could have a significant influence," Feng added.