Typhoon Bavi lashes Japan’s southern islands, Taiwan evacuates thousands
Joseph Campbell, Angie Teo and Yimou Lee
ISHIGAKI, Japan/TAIPEI, July 11 (Reuters) – Typhoon Bavi lashed Japan’s southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and high winds as it moved towards Taiwan on Saturday, prompting authorities to warn of flood and landslide risks.
On the island of Ishigaki, part of Okinawa prefecture, small pieces of debris could be seen flying through empty streets, with only scores of vehicles braving the storm and rain.
Boats in a harbor were rocked by strong currents caused by a large, powerful storm that had maximum sustained winds of 144 km/h (90 mph) near its center. Authorities warned of winds reaching 198 km per hour.
Flights and ferries across Ishigaki, a popular tourist destination, were suspended throughout Saturday. Airlines canceled 345 flights and more than 24,000 households lost power in Okinawa.
In neighboring Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people, mostly from mountainous areas, as the island was closed due to the approach of Bavi to the north.
Although the slowly weakening Bavi will not make landfall in Taiwan, the government is taking measures to prevent loss of life due to forecasts of almost 1 meter (3 feet) of rain in some areas.
Most evacuees were in the northern and eastern regions; All 920 international flights, as well as 280 domestic flights, were cancelled.
Almost all cities and counties in Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday on Saturday, and all offices and schools that might have been open on the weekend were closed. The main north-south high-speed rail line remained open but service was reduced.
There was strong wind and rain in the city center of the capital Taipei, and some people were still on the street.
“It’s okay, it’s not that serious,” said Yeh Mao-hsiung, a 68-year-old Taipei resident who was out for a morning walk with his dog. “Just a little more wind.”
But in Taipei’s Beitou neighborhood, at the foot of the mountains surrounding the city, winds of nearly 100 km/h (60 mph) toppled trees and swelled rivers.
Bavi is expected to hit the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, home to 10 million people, early Sunday.
In Wenzhou, Chen Qiuqin, in his 60s, walked through persistent rain on his way to his parents’ house to help them prepare for the approaching typhoon, but said he was not too worried given the government’s preparations.
“I was worried about the flower pots on my mother’s balcony, so I will help move them inside. My mother and father are old and home alone, so I was not comfortable,” she said.
(Reporting by Joseph Campbell in Ishigaki and Angie Teo and Yimou Lee in Taipei; Additional reporting by Go Nakamura and Ella Cao in Wenzhou; Writing by Ben Blanchard and Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Kim Coghill- and William Mallard)
