Super Typhoon Bavi Threatens China and Taiwan After Deadly Flooding Kills 39 in Southern China

Super Typhoon Bavi, a massive storm roughly the width of France, is threatening Taiwan and eastern China after a devastating week of extreme weather that has already claimed over 50 lives in China. Bavi, which previously battered the U.S. territory of Rota with winds up to 290 km/h, is tracking toward Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. Meanwhile, southern China is reeling from Tropical Storm Maysak, which triggered a deadly dam collapse in Hengzhou killing 26 people and allowed hundreds of venomous breeding snakes to escape.

Super Typhoon Bavi approach

• ▪Super Typhoon Bavi packed sustained winds of 250 kilometers per hour, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane, with gusts up to 290 kilometers per hour.
• ▪Super Typhoon Bavi, measuring approximately 1,000 kilometers at its widest point, is forecast to pass north of Taiwan before making landfall on China's eastern coast.
• ▪Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled dozens of flights scheduled for July 10, 2026, and July 11, 2026, due to the approach of Super Typhoon Bavi.

Climate-driven storm intensification

• ▪Scientists state that climate change is making typhoons wetter and more destructive, with the expected emergence of El Niño further increasing the risk of intense storms.
• ▪Sea surface temperatures across the western Pacific are 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above average, and up to 4 degrees Celsius above average along the coasts of China, Taiwan, and Japan.

Northern Mariana Islands damage

• ▪Super Typhoon Bavi caused catastrophic damage on the United States island of Rota, leaving most of the 1,500 residents without power and communications.
• ▪Super Typhoon Bavi brought more than 20 inches of rain to Guam and caused wind damage to park walkways.

China flooding disasters

• ▪Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak killed at least 39 people in southern China's Guangxi region, including 26 deaths caused by a reservoir dam collapse in Hengzhou.
• ▪Hundreds of venomous snakes, including cobras, escaped from flooded breeding farms in Hengzhou during the heavy rainfall, resulting in multiple documented snakebites.
• ▪Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Maysak killed at least 17 people and injured hundreds in central China.

Taiwan emergency preparations

• ▪Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te urged residents to prepare emergency supplies and shared instructional materials on assembling a three-day emergency grab bag.
• ▪Taiwan authorities placed 29,000 soldiers on standby and forecast up to 1 meter of rain in the northern mountains around Taipei.