We've been through typhoons before There's no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies," he added.Extreme weather has wreaked havoc on southern and central China this week, with storms leaving at least 39 dead and causing dozens of rivers to overflow.Earlier this week Typhoon Bavi pummelled Japan's southern Sakishima island chain, and brushed past northern Taiwan, where it caused 113 injuries. Taiwan's government had evacuated the homes of more than 14,000 people, mostly from mountainous areas, as the typhoon approached.Authorities also cancelled hundreds of international and domestic flights, effectively closing the nation's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside the capital Taipei.Almost all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing offices and schools that may have been open on the weekend.Bavi was downgraded to a typhoon as it moved across the Pacific Ocean after slamming into Guam and the Northern Marianas on Monday as a super typhoon.In the Philippines, the death toll from landslides and other incidents triggered by heavy rains driven by Bavi rose to 18, most on the southern island of Mindanao.Nearly 11,000 people across the archipelago fled their homes and dozens of ports remain closed, with 313 vessels taking shelter.AFP/Reuters