Typhoon Bavi: 14,000 Evacuated in Taiwan; Japan Islands Hit

Typhoon Bavi has forced more than 14,000 people to evacuate their homes in Taiwan as it churns toward China. The storm, which previously impacted Guam and the Northern Marianas, lashed Japan's remote southwestern islands, cutting power to thousands in Okinawa.

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Everyone is afraid of the severe weather and staying indoors, but I only came out because I have orders. Some people are on duty and wouldn't have anything to eat so I still need to deliver food to them. If the wind and rain start picking up in a bit, I'll be heading home early.

Streets in Keelung, a port city in northern Taiwan expected to be among the hardest hit, were largely deserted. A breakfast shop owner, surnamed Tsai, told AFP he ventured out to deliver food to those on duty despite the worsening weather. "Everyone is afraid of the severe weather and staying indoors, but I only came out because I have orders," the 50-year-old said, adding he would head home early if conditions deteriorated further.

While Bavi was once projected to be the largest typhoon to hit Taiwan in over 30 years, its strong-wind radius has since shrunk. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported that maximum sustained wind speeds had slowed to 144 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching 180 kilometers per hour. Despite the weakening intensity, the CWA warned of "extremely torrential rain" across northern Taiwan and dangerous waves up to 10 meters high along the coast. More than 27,000 households were without power.

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The typhoon's impact will be more significant during the daytime today. The period of greatest impact is expected around noon through the afternoon.

In Japan, the Miyako region was hardest hit, with over 18,000 households and facilities losing power. Japanese airlines canceled dozens of flights, impacting more than 26,000 passengers. Professional storm-chaser James Reynolds reported gale-force conditions on Ishigaki island, with gusts reaching typhoon strength overnight. In the Philippines, two landslides were triggered by heavy rains associated with the typhoon's outer bands.

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Miyako is taking worst of typhoon Bavi. Conditions on Ishigaki gale force with some overnight gusts to typhoon strength.