Authorities in Taiwan have taken massive precautions and evacuated more than 14,000 people, mostly from the mountainous, northern and eastern regions of the country, the Central Meteorological Administration (CWA) said.
The typhoon “Bavi“ is classified as the largest typhoon to approach the island since 1987, with a range of nearly 1,000 kilometers. Although the eye of the storm will not make a direct landfall and will move northeast, its outer rain bands carry the risk of devastating flooding with forecasts of nearly 1 meter of rainfall in some areas.
Due to the imminent danger, almost all cities and counties on the island have declared a public holiday, closing schools, offices and businesses. There were also major disruptions to transport — a total of 917 international flights and all 274 domestic flights for Saturday were cancelled. The Central Emergency Management Council, headed by President Lai Chin-te, is coordinating the response, with the Ministry of Defence putting more than 29,000 troops on high alert for immediate disaster relief. The typhoon is expected to make landfall in eastern China in the early hours of Sunday.