Typhoon Bavi loses eye but system expands to 1,263 times the size of Hong Kong
Experts warn the change has dissipated Bavi’s energy from the core to its overall cloud structure, making it potentially more dangerous
Zhoushan’s airport said in a social media post that 14 flights to and from the island city in Zhejiang province were cancelled for Friday. In Wenzhou, 17 inbound flights have been cancelled.
Multiple airlines – including Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines – have activated special ticketing help channels and announced fee-waiver rebooking or refund policies.
According to an Air China notice, passengers booked to fly via affected cities, including Quanzhou, Hangzhou and Xiamen, in the next two days can refund their tickets or switch flights without additional fees.
The National Meteorological Centre said on Friday that Bavi had weakened to “severe typhoon” status, with winds at its centre dropping to 45 metres per second (100mph) as it continues towards China’s coast.
The forecaster maintained an orange alert, the second-highest in a four-tier system. The former super typhoon is predicted to bring heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours to Taiwan as well as across the Chinese mainland.