Tokyo [Japan], July 11: A large and powerful typhoon approached a remote chain of islands in Japan's southwest on Friday, prompting authorities to warn of violent winds, torrential rain, landslides and flooding in what could be the region's most destructive storm in years.
Typhoon Bavi expected to pass very close to Japan's Sakishima Islands, a remote island chain near Taiwan that is part of Okinawa Prefecture, early on Saturday morning, according to meteorological authorities.
Maximum sustained winds were topping out at 162 kph (100 mph), and local residents on Ishigaki, one of the islands in the chain, were taping up windows and draping windproof nets across homes and shops.
In the Philippines, 10 people died in a landslide on the southern island of Mindanao after heavy rains from a southwest monsoon system enhanced by Bavi, a disaster official said.
Airlines grounded dozens of flights in the region. Japan Airlines said it had cancelled more than 100 flights for Friday and Saturday, affecting nearly 20,000 passengers. Rival carrier All Nippon Airways cancelled more than 160 flights through Sunday, disrupting travel for roughly 20,000 people.
Nearly 900 buildings in Okinawa Prefecture were without power as of 0600 GMT.
On Ishigaki, a popular tourist destination, residents stocked up on supplies, emptying shelves of instant noodles at a local supermarket. Some public beaches, coastal parks and the local ferry terminal appeared closed.
"I heard that this one will be pretty big," said Hiroshi Nomura, as he strung windproof nets across his bicycle rental store. "I'm a little concerned about whether our typhoon preparations are enough."
At the supermarket, local resident Eiken Ishigaki filled his shopping basket with snacks and beer, concerned about potential power outages and expecting to be stuck at home on Friday night and Saturday.
Kazuo Akaishi, a tourist from Ibaraki Prefecture northeast of Tokyo, was waiting at the ferry terminal, hoping to leave for a nearby island. But he had been forced to extend his stay on Ishigaki, as all services for Friday and Saturday appeared to have been cancelled.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
