A massive and powerful storm is bearing down on a remote island chain off Japan’s southwestern coast, with officials warning residents that Typhoon Bavi could be the most destructive storm to hit the area in years.
As of early Friday, Typhoon Bavi was closing in on Japan’s Sakishima Islands — a distant chain of islands situated near Taiwan — packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour, or roughly 100 miles per hour. Residents moved quickly to secure homes and businesses ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Air travel in the region took a major hit, with airlines scrapping dozens of flights — including those scheduled for Saturday.
On the island of Ishigaki, one of the more tourist-friendly destinations in the Sakishima chain, locals rushed to stock up on food and supplies. Shelves of instant noodles at a nearby supermarket were wiped clean. Public beaches, coastal parks, and the local ferry terminal appeared to have shut their doors ahead of the storm.
Hiroshi Nomura, a bicycle rental shop owner, was spotted stretching windproof nets across his storefront as the storm approached. “I heard that this one will be pretty big,” he said. “I’m a little concerned about whether our typhoon preparations are enough.”
Similar windproof nets and taped-up windows were visible at businesses throughout Ishigaki as the community braced for impact.
Across the water in Taiwan, financial markets shut down for the day and large portions of the northern and eastern parts of the island were also given the day off. The Taipei city government opened stations where residents could pick up sandbags to protect their properties.
Forecasters say Bavi is not expected to make direct landfall in Taiwan, but the storm is set to unleash heavy rainfall across the island beginning late Friday before eventually moving toward China’s coastline, where it is expected to weaken.
Taiwan’s airlines have called off all Saturday flights from the country’s primary international airport at Taoyuan, located outside of Taipei.
