A satellite image shows Typhoon Bavi as it churns in the Pacific Ocean, on Jul 9, 2026. (Image: Reuters/NASA WORLDVIEW) 09 Jul 2026 04:32PM (Updated: 09 Jul 2026 04:33PM) BEIJING: China and Taiwan were bracing for possibly the most destructive tropical storm in years as Typhoon Bavi churned southeast of Taiwan on Thursday (Jul 9), with winds near 200kmh, and as parts of China were still reeling from Typhoon Maysak.Authorities in Taiwan forecast that up to 1m of rain will hit the island's northern mountains around Taipei and some 29,000 soldiers have been placed on standby, the defence ministry said, as it braces for what could be its most powerful typhoon since Kong-rey in 2024, which killed three people.Bavi, currently about 1,000km at its widest point or roughly the width of France, is f