At least 15 people have been killed in southern Philippines after landslides triggered by Typhoon Bavi buried families overnight on the island of Mindanao.
Rescuers continue searching for missing persons as heavy rains persist, compounding the devastation already felt across the region.
The storm, spanning 1,000km at its widest point—roughly the size of France—is sweeping across the Pacific towards Taiwan.
Authorities in Taiwan, Japan, and China on Friday have issued urgent warnings as the typhoon is expected to bring torrential rainfall, flooding, and destructive winds.
The storm is forecast to make landfall in south-eastern China on Saturday, threatening millions of lives and livelihoods.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration has described Bavi as the largest storm by size to hit the island since 1987. Officials warned of rainfall reaching up to one metre, with 29,000 soldiers placed on standby for relief efforts.
“Don’t be fooled by the nice and calm weather now. A storm like this could be the most terrifying,” fisherman Chen Ming-hui told Reuters as residents rushed to secure homes and vessels.Across China, environmental experts cautioned that Bavi’s remnants could sweep northward after striking Fujian province, affecting regions less experienced with typhoons.
“Bavi’s large size and abundant energy mean its remnants and outer rainbands could move from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces toward the Bohai Sea region,” said Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, urging northern provinces to strengthen preparations.
Japan’s Sakishima Islands are also on high alert, with residents taping windows and reinforcing shops against the storm.
Airlines have cancelled hundreds of flights, disrupting travel for nearly 40,000 passengers across Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines joined Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways in grounding flights to and from Taipei.
The looming disaster comes as southern China is still reeling from Typhoon Maysak earlier this week, which killed at least 39 people, displaced more than 130,000, and destroyed livestock and crops.
Bavi’s arrival threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis across East Asia, with experts warning it could be one of the most destructive storms in decades.