ISHIGAKI, OKINAWA PREF. ¨C 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.
Early on Friday, ?Typhoon Bavi was nearing Japan¡¯s Sakishima Islands ¡ª a remote chain of islands near Taiwan ¡ª with ?maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour, prompting locals ?to secure their homes and shops.
Airlines canceled dozens of flights in the ?region, including for Saturday.
In ?Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, one of the islands in the chain popular with tourists, 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, with some citing safety concerns ahead of the typhoon¡¯s arrival.
¡°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.¡±
The ?same windproof nets, along with taped ?windows, could be seen in establishments across Ishigaki.
In ?neighboring Taiwan, financial markets closed for the day, with a large swathe of the north and east also off work. The Taipei ?government set up stations for locals to collect sandbags.
Bavi is not expected to make landfall in Taiwan ?but will dump huge amounts of rain on the island starting late Friday, before hitting China¡¯s coast and weakening as it goes.
Taiwan¡¯s airlines have canceled all of ?their flights on Saturday from the main international airport at Taoyuan outside Taipei.
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