Super Typhoon Bavi hits China's east coast July 11-12 with 45 m/s winds and 400mm+ rain. Orange alert issued; outdoor events canceled, travel disrupted. Stay indoors.
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By Ned Kelly
With landfall expected near the Fujian-Zhejiang provincial border later tonight, July 11, or early morning tomorrow, July 12, here's everything you need to know.
READ MORE: How to Track Typhoons Hitting China on WeChat and Web
It's Larger Than France!
Zut alors!
Super Typhoon Bavi's cloud shield stretches more than 1,000 kilometers across, roughly the distance between Shanghai and Beijing—or larger than France.
That ranks it in the top 3% of all Western Pacific typhoons over the past decade, and the largest storm by size to hit Taiwan since 1987.
The Perfect Storm
Screenshot via Zoom Earth
Bavi grew to its massive size because it had the perfect combination of environmental factors working in its favor for an unusually long time.
High Temperatures: Sea surface temperatures across the western Pacific were 2-3°C above average, with some areas reaching a staggering 29-32°C.
Abundant Energy: That steady supply of warm water allowed Bavi to continuously extract energy and accumulate massive amounts of moisture over a long period as it traveled across the open ocean.
Self-Sustaining Cycle: A process of 'rapid intensification' occurred—as the storm drew energy from the warm water, it created a powerful feedback loop that allowed it to strengthen from a modest system into a Category 5 equivalent in less than 48 hours.
Favorable Winds: Calm upper-level atmospheric conditions allowed the storm to keep its vertical structure intact, preventing it from being torn apart.
Super Typhoon Bavi is a storm that hit all the right conditions... and just kept growing.
Orange Alert
China's National Meteorological Center has issued an orange typhoon alert, the country's second-highest warning level.
Although Bavi has weakened, it is currently still packing winds of up to 45 metres per second and is forecast to bring heavy rain and strong winds to large parts of Chinese mainland over the next 24 hours.
Authorities have urged ships to remain in port, suspended outdoor activities, and advised residents—especially the elderly and children—to stay indoors.
A Super Soaking
Even as the storm gradually weakens, forecasters say its expanding circulation could push tropical moisture far inland, bringing several days of heavy rain well beyond the coast.
Projected path and rainfall
Some areas could receive more than 400 millimeters of rain, while the storm's impacts are expected to extend into central and northern China.
Weekend Cancelled?
Airlines and ferry operators have already begun suspending services in affected areas as preparations intensify across eastern China.
In Shanghai, dozens of outdoor events, concerts, sports events, beach attractions, and other activities have been either canceled, suspended, or postponed and rescheduled.
If you had plans, travel or otherwise, double check they're still on.
As for fans of England, Norway, Argentina, and Switzerland who still want to venture out for the game—think about booking that Didi in advance, and check your preferred bar is still showing it.
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