TOKYO: A powerful typhoon hit Japan’s southern island prefecture of Okinawa on Saturday (July 11), affecting some flights and prompting the weather agency to warn of landslides and flooding.
Typhoon Bavi was forecast to bring violent winds, potentially damaging homes, and high waves, with the risk of flooding in low-lying areas near the coast and rivers, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
It is expected to pass through the remote Sakishima Islands and move away from Japan.
As of 6am local time, the season’s ninth typhoon was moving at around 20kmh east-south-west of Miyako Island in Okinawa, packing winds of up to 216kmh.
Thousands evacuated in Taiwan
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s government evacuated more than 14,000 people from mainly mountainous areas as the island shut down for the medium-strength Typhoon Bavi, which is expected to bring a deluge of rain and strong wind in exposed areas.
While Bavi, which is gradually weakening, will not make landfall on Taiwan, the government is taking all precautions to prevent loss of life, given forecasts for almost one metre of rain in some areas.
Most of those evacuated were in areas in the north and east, with 917 international flights cancelled as well as all 274 domestic flights.
Almost all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for July 11, closing any offices and schools that may have been open on the weekend. The main north-south high-speed rail line remained open, but with a reduced service.
In the capital Taipei, there was blustery wind and rain with some people still out on the street.
“It’s ok, it’s not that serious,” said Taipei resident Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, out for a morning walk with his dog. “It’s just a little bit more wind.”
Northern China braces for heavy rain
Localities across northern China are bracing for heavy rains, shutting parks and lowering water levels in reservoirs, as Bavi continued to send moisture northward.
Bavi, which is forecast to make landfall around the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou late on July 11 or early on July 12, is shaping up to be one of the strongest typhoons to affect the country in years.
The typhoon brought heavy downpours on July 10, which are expected to continue over the weekend to regions beyond the expected landfall zone, putting northern provinces and regions including Hebei, Beijing, Shaanxi and Liaoning on alerts for rainfall and flooding.
In the capital Beijing, close to 100,000 people had been evacuated as of the afternoon of July 10 in preparation for heavy rainfall, state media reported.
Fushun, a city in north-eastern China, asked local education departments to ensure that all tutoring institutions remain closed on July 11.
In regions including Beijing, Hebei and Inner Mongolia, public venues, parks and other outdoor tourist sites announced closures on July 10, citing risks from extreme weather.
The water discharge from Beijing’s Miyun Reservoir has been bumped up to 205 cubic metres per second from around 135 cubic metres per second since the morning of July 9 to free up more space for flood control, local media reported on July 10. - Kyodo News, Reuters via The Straits Times
