Over the following two days, Babe quickly intensified, ultimately attaining its peak intensity early on September 8 with winds of 240 km/h (150 mph) and a barometric pressure of 905 mbar (hPa; 26.72 inHg).

During this time, the system gradually weakened and eventually it made landfall near Shanghai, China on September 11 as a minimal typhoon before dissipating inland the following day.

Tracking steadily west-northwestward in response to a well-developed subtropical ridge extending from the International Date Line to China, the system was soon classified a tropical depression early on September 2.

Hours later, a weather reconnaissance mission into the depression revealed winds of 75 km/h (47 mph), prompting the JTWC to designate the system as Tropical Storm Babe.

[4] Initially, forecasters anticipated Babe to maintain its westward course as it strengthened and threaten the Philippines; however, its forward motion gradually slowed as it neared the region.

On September 5, an upper-level trough formed over northeastern Asia and created a weakness in the subtropical ridge, allowing Babe to turn north-northwestward.

Early on September 8, Babe attained its peak intensity with winds of 240 km/h (150 mph) while situated approximately 465 km (289 mi) southeast of Ishigaki Island.

[2] At this time, the Japan Meteorological Agency estimated the storm to have had peak ten-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (127 mph) and a minimum pressure of 905 mbar (hPa; 26.72 inHg).

Accelerating along a counter-clockwise arc, Babe moved through the Ryukyu Islands as a weakening typhoon on September 9 before taking a steady westward course into China.

[15] Elsewhere in the East China Sea, approximately 100 Japanese fishing vessels attempting to seek shelter from the storm were damaged.