At least 15 people have died in landslides triggered by one of the most powerful storms to hit the southern Philippines in decades, while parts of East Asia are bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Bavi.
Typhoon Bavi, which spans approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles)—roughly the width of France—is moving across the Pacific Ocean toward Taiwan.
According to weather forecasts, the storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall to northern and eastern Taiwan, as well as to a chain of remote Japanese islands, before making landfall along China’s southeastern coast on Saturday, the BBC reported.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration has warned that Bavi is expected to be the largest typhoon by size to strike the island since 1987.
Authorities across the affected regions are monitoring the storm closely and preparing emergency response measures as the powerful weather system continues its approach.
