Hundreds of people in Taiwan have been evacuated from their homes, and many schools and offices closed, as Typhoon Bavi, the biggest typhoon in decades, sweeps towards the region. The typhoon is expected to pound Taiwan's north and east, as well as Japan's remote southwestern islands, on Friday and Saturday before making landfall in China. Locals in the port city of Keelung, one of the hardest hit areas, stocked up on food, taped windows, and stacked sandbags at the entrances to street-level businesses, heeding warnings from authorities to take precautions.
Impact and Preparations
Typhoon Bavi's maximum sustained wind speeds were 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, with gusts of around 198 kilometres per hour, on Friday. Although the typhoon has weakened slightly, its extensive wind field may still bring strong winds and heavy rain to various areas. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Wang Ping-hsiang said, 'The typhoon is likely to continue weakening because environmental conditions are not favourable.'
The greatest impact is expected in Taipei, New Taipei, Keelung, and Yilan, while the heaviest rainfall is forecast for mountainous areas in central and northern Taiwan. Bavi's strong-wind radius of 380 kilometres (240 miles) will make it the largest typhoon to hit Taiwan in more than 30 years. Many schools and offices were shuttered on Friday across northern and eastern Taiwan, including Taipei.
Evacuations and Safety Measures
In Keelung, locals flocked to a fresh food market to buy fruit and vegetables, street food vendors secured their stands, and a temple covered and tied down an outdoor statue ahead of the storm. Bavi is expected to dump up to a metre of rain, raising concerns about potential flooding and landslides. More than a thousand people have been evacuated from their homes, mostly in the mountainous county of Hualien in Taiwan's east where authorities are monitoring two barrier dams.
Government Response and Public Alert
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged people in areas likely to be most affected by Bavi to remain on 'high alert.' He said on Facebook, 'Although the typhoon has weakened slightly and is now classified as a moderate typhoon, its extensive wind field may still bring strong winds and heavy rain to various areas.' After sweeping past Taiwan, Bavi is expected to make landfall in eastern China over the weekend.
Significance for Bangladesh
While Typhoon Bavi is primarily affecting Taiwan and China, the event underscores the importance of preparedness and response to extreme weather events. Bangladesh, which is prone to cyclones and flooding, can learn from Taiwan's evacuation and safety measures to better protect its population during similar natural disasters.
