Bavi becomes a typhoon as Korean Peninsula, China prepare for impacts

Bavi has strengthened to a typhoon on Monday, local time, while spinning across the East China Sea. The storms intensity is equal to that of a Category 1 hurricane.Bavi first developed as a tropical storm just east of Taiwan on Saturday morning, local time, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).Bavi was able to strengthen due to the presence of the warm waters of the East China Sea and an area of light wind shear, or the change in direction and speed of wind in the atmosphere. The above satellite image shows Tropical Storm Bavi spinning in the East China Sea on Monday afternoon, Aug. 24. (RAMMB/CIRA) Bavi is expected to remain in these conditions into Tuesday, which can allow for further strengthening. Bavi can reach the equivalent strength of a Category 2 or 3 hurricane during this time.CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPAs Bavi spun near the central Ryukyu Islands from Sunday into Monday, it battered the region with rough surf, bands of heavy rain and strong winds.The island of Okinawa had wind gusts to near 90 km/h (60 mph) 100-125 mm (4-5 inches) of rain. This was despite the core of strongest wind and heaviest rain remaining to the west of the island. As Bavi pulls away from the central Ryukyu Islands, rain and wind will gradually lessen into Tuesday.From Wednesday into Thursday, impacts from Bavi will focus on the Korean Peninsula and northeastern China as the storm accelerates to the north.Heavy rain and strong winds can first reach southwestern South Korea Wednesday morning. Rain and wind are expected to spread northward across the Korean Peninsula through the day on Wednesday.While the latest forecast keeps the center of Bavi just to the west of the South Korea and North Korea border, impacts are still expected to be significant. Damaging wind gusts are expected to be the greatest threat from Bavi with gusts to 80-115 km/h (50-70 mph) across the western Korean Peninsula. Stronger wind gusts ranging between 115-145 km/h (70-90 mph) can be expected near the southwest coast of South Korea, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 190 km/h (120 mph) that is most likely on Jeju Island.Rainfall will generally total 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) over the Korean Peninsula. Heavier rainfall totals of 100-200 inches (4-8 inches) can be expected across portions southwestern South Korea and northwestern North Korea, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 250 mm (10 inches).Conditions will rapidly improve across the Korean Peninsula on Thursday.Although the threat for damaging winds will lessen after the storm moves inland, Bavi can bring the risk for heavy flooding rainfall across northeastern China and extreme southeastern Russia from Thursday into Friday.AccuWeather forecasters are also monitoring Tropical Storm Laura and Tropical Storm Marco, both of which will impact the Gulf Coast of the United States this week.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.