A landslide in the Philippines killed 15, while Taiwan, Japan and southeast China were strengthened by Typhoon Bavi.

Landslides triggered by one of the strongest typhoons in the southern Philippines have killed at least 15 people, as parts of East Asia brace themselves for the looming typhoon.

The 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) storm — about the size of France — is moving across the Pacific Ocean toward Taiwan.

It is expected to bring rain to the north and east of Taiwan, as well as the outlying Japanese island chain, before moving over southeastern China on Saturday.

Dozens of flights have been canceled and schools have suspended classes across the region. Supermarket shelves were cleared as residents stocked up on supplies ahead of the storm.

Families buried overnight in a landslide on the Philippine island of Mindanao are still searching for their missing.

Moderate to heavy rains will continue to drench parts of the country over the weekend, officials said.

Taiwanese officials warned that Bavi could bring up to 1 meter (39 inches) of rain. According to the Ministry of Defense of the island, about 29,000 soldiers have completed their preparation with aid.

Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Administration told Reuters that Bavi would be the biggest typhoon to hit the island since 1987.

Earlier on Friday, as the weather took over, farmers in the region rushed to harvest or preserve their crops, while fishermen ensured that their vessels were kept tight.

“Don’t be fooled by the good and calm weather now. This kind of storm can be very scary,” fisherman Chen Ming-hui, 60, told Reuters.

Thousands of sandbags have been distributed to residents and shop owners in flood-prone areas.

Across the coast, China warned of “significant impacts” from the typhoon, which could move north after entering the southeastern province of Fujian.

Ma Jun, director of the China Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said: “Bavi’s large size and abundant energy means that its remnants and outer rainbands can move from Jiangsu and Anhui provinces to the Bohai Sea area.”

He warned that the northern regions, which have less experience in dealing with storms than the south, “must strengthen their preparations”.

Some forecasts suggest that Bavi may fail twice in China.