On August 19, the JTWC began monitoring a broad area of low pressure situated a couple hundred miles northeast of the Philippine archipelago. By the next day, the system rapidly organised, and the JTWC subsequently issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA), and on August 21, the area of low pressure organized into Tropical Depression 09W.^[1] At 15:00 UTC, the PAGASA named the system "Igme" and issued a severe weather bulletin for it.^[2] By the next day the system had intensified into a tropical storm, and the JMA gave it the name Bavi and upgraded it, with the JTWC doing the same.^[3] Favorable conditions allowed Bavi to rapidly intensify, and by 12:00 UTC on August 22, the system became a severe tropical storm. The system left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on the same day.^[4] Bavi's period of rapid intensification was brief, with its intensification significantly slowed on August 23.

On August 24, Bavi was upgraded into a typhoon by the JTWC as it continued to slowly intensify. Later on that day, it became a Category 2 typhoon, with it becoming a Category 3 typhoon on the next day. As Bavi moved closer to the Korean peninsula, one person died in Jeju Island on August 25.^[5] Soon afterwards, as Bavi moved northwards into very hostile conditions and high wind shear, which caused Bavi to rapidly weaken. Wind shear was still high and the storm started extratropical transition. Around 00:30 UTC on August 27, a weakened Bavi made landfall over North Pyongan Province, North Korea as a minimal typhoon.^[6] Both the JMA and the JTWC issued their final advisory on Bavi a few hours later as it became an extratropical cyclone over Northeastern China.

Japan edit

Bavi caused wind gusts of over 60 mph (97 km/h) and dropped 300 mm (12 in) of rain on the island of Okinawa.^[7] Agricultural damage in Okinawa Prefecture was JP¥25.14 million (US$237 thousand).^[8] Large waves associated with Bavi were reported as far away as Kagoshima Prefecture.^[9]

South Korea edit

In South Korea, as a precaution over 470 flights were cancelled and railroad services were halted. Public parks were also closed for the typhoon.^[10]

In Jeju Island, five people were swept away by strong waves, one of them died later.^[11] Heavy rainfall was also reported in the island with a maximum amount of 399.5 mm (15.73 in) being reported near Mount Halla.^[12] Despite a close pass to mainland South Korea, damage was minimal, consisting mostly of power outages, broken windows, and downed trees. Nevertheless, more than 100 reports of damage was submitted. The typhoon forced about 30 people in Gokseong, South Jeolla Province, to evacuate due to landslides. About 440 flights were cancelled at eleven airports across the country, while nearly 160 passenger ferries were grounded on 99 ferry routes.^[13] Roughly 1,600 households in South Korea lost power.^[14] Losses in Jeju reached ₩484 million (US$408 thousand).^[15]

North Korea edit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a high-level political conference where he voiced his concerns about Typhoon Bavi and the COVID-19 pandemic.^[16] He ordered all levels of the Workers' Party to take steps to protect the country from the threat of the storm.^[17]

Snapped utility poles and trees were reported near Bavi's landfall location, as well as flooded roads. A peak precipitation amount of 224 mm (8.8 in) was reported in Anju.^[7] Several homes and public buildings were damaged in North and South Hwanghae provinces.^[18]

In an unusual step, Korean Central Television remained on the air overnight on 27 August as the typhoon impacted the country, interrupting programs every 30 minutes with updates from the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration. It later broadcast images of storm damage, as well as field reports from correspondents in Pyongyang and Nampo—a major divergence from the strict format and content of all other KCTV news bulletins, where the activities of Kim Jong-un take precedence. No other coverage of the storm was included in KCTV bulletins until 28 August, when a story followed Kim as he inspected damage from the storm.^[17][19]

China edit

Several weather alerts were issued for portions of China as Typhoon Bavi neared. The Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management stated that 20,000 firefighters had been deployed equipped with 329 rescue boats.

In Northeast China, rounds of heavy downpours brought up to 150 mm (5.9 in) of rainfall in some areas.^[20] Damage in Dalian amounted to be CN¥76.54 million (US$11.1 million).^[21]

• Weather of 2020
• Tropical cyclones in 2020
• Typhoon Prapiroon (2000) – Had a similar track.
• Typhoon Kompasu (2010) – Affected the South Korean capital, Seoul.
• Typhoon Bolaven (2012) – Another typhoon that made landfall as a tropical storm in North Korea.
• Typhoon Lingling (2019) – Previous typhoon to hit North Korea prior to Bavi.
• Typhoon Maysak (2020) – A storm that struck South Korea a week later.
• Typhoon Haishen (2020) – A storm that struck the Korean Peninsula after Bavi and Maysak.
• Typhoon Khanun (2023) – A typhoon that also stalled in the Okinawa Islands before making it to the Korean Peninsula.

  Media related to Typhoon Bavi (2020) at Wikimedia Commons