A storm of historic proportions
Super Typhoon Bavi is closing in on Taiwan and mainland China after devastating Guam and the US Northern Mariana Islands as a Category 5 storm. Currently packing sustained winds of 200 km/h near its center, Bavi spans roughly 1,000 km at its widest point — making it the largest typhoon to threaten Taiwan by size since 1987. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration warned of up to one meter of rain in the mountains around Taipei.
Taiwan mobilizes for impact
Taiwan's defense ministry has placed 29,000 soldiers on standby for emergency response. Schools and businesses across northern Taiwan have begun closing ahead of the storm's expected landfall. 'Storms of this size have been fairly rare in recent years,' said Jason Chang, a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Administration. The last typhoon of comparable magnitude to hit Taiwan was Kong-rey in 2024, which killed three people. Bavi is expected to be far more powerful.
China braces for second hit in weeks
Parts of eastern China are still recovering from Typhoon Maysak, which struck just two weeks ago, causing widespread flooding and damage. The back-to-back storms have stretched emergency response resources and raised concerns about the role of warming ocean temperatures in fueling more intense tropical cyclones. Climate scientists note that warmer sea surface temperatures provide more energy for storms, potentially making rapid intensification events like Bavi's more common.