Typhoon Bavi Hits Eastern China After Nearly 2 Million People Evacuated
BEIJING – Typhoon Bavi reached eastern China late Saturday, July 11, bringing powerful winds after authorities moved nearly two million residents to safer areas, state media reported. No immediate reports confirmed deaths, injuries, or property damage.
Before striking China, Bavi brought heavy rain and strong winds to northern Taiwan and Japan’s remote southwestern islands. Trees fell, power lines were damaged, and tens of thousands of households lost electricity.
Key Takeaways
- Typhoon Bavi made two landfalls in Zhejiang province, with winds reaching 144 kmh.
- Authorities evacuated 1.72 million people in China and suspended flights, train services, classes, and outdoor activities.
- The storm also caused deaths and widespread disruption in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan.
The typhoon arrived as southern and central China continued to deal with severe flooding. Storms during the week killed at least 39 people, caused rivers to overflow, and led to the collapse of a reservoir dam.
Xinhua news agency said Bavi first reached land in Zhejiang province at about 11:20 p.m. Saturday. The storm moved ashore near Yuhuan city with winds of up to 144 kmh, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.
About 20 minutes later, the system moved back over the water before making a second landfall near Yueqing City, Xinhua reported.
Flights and Train Services Cancelled
Zhejiang officials warned that coastal areas could receive torrential rain. They also raised the risk of flash floods, transport problems, overflowing rivers, and flooded farmland.
The storm was expected to travel northwest and weaken as it moved inland. At the time of the report, authorities had not released details about casualties or damage.
As of Saturday morning, officials had relocated 1.72 million people across the province. The government also suspended work, classes, transportation services, and outdoor activities. More than 400 flights and dozens of train services were canceled.
Officials in Wenzhou, a city of almost 10 million people, said the large evacuation effort was intended to prepare for the worst possible conditions.
Residents reinforced metal shutters with wooden boards and placed tape across windows. CCTV footage showed businesses preparing for the exceptionally heavy rain forecast for eastern Zhejiang and northeastern Fujian province.
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Flood preparations spread across China
Heavy rain also affected areas farther north. Beijing authorities evacuated more than 100,000 people as officials increased water releases from Miyun Reservoir. The reservoir was being managed to make room for possible floodwater from incoming storms.
State media reported that more than 130,000 residents left their homes in Fujian province. Around 34,000 people were also moved from coastal and high-risk areas in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, northern Taiwan remained largely quiet as strong winds and rain affected the island. Many businesses stayed closed for a second day, while residents remained indoors.
More than 14,000 people in Taiwan were evacuated. Hundreds of flights were canceled, and power outages affected over 170,000 households.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration warned of extremely heavy rain in the north. It also forecast dangerous coastal waves that could reach 10 meters as Bavi passed close to the island.
Bavi had weakened after reaching super typhoon strength earlier in the week. The storm struck Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday before moving toward Taiwan and China.
On Friday, the typhoon appeared likely to become the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in more than three decades. However, its area of strong winds later narrowed to about 350 kilometers, said CWA forecaster Jason Cheng.
Some residents in Taiwan criticized the government warnings because the storm produced less wind and rain than they expected in certain areas. A breakfast shop owner in Keelung, identified by the surname Li, said the warnings had led people to rush to stores and buy up groceries, even though local weather conditions remained relatively mild.
Deaths and Disruption Across the Region
In the Philippines, the number of people killed by landslides and other incidents linked to heavy rain from Bavi rose to 18. Most of the deaths occurred on Mindanao.
Nearly 11,000 people across the Philippines left their homes. Dozens of ports remained closed, while 313 vessels moved to sheltered locations.
Japan’s remote southwestern islands also suffered power outages after Bavi brought strong winds and heavy rain. The Miyako region recorded some of the worst effects, with thousands of households and public facilities losing electricity.
Japanese airlines canceled dozens of flights, disrupting the travel plans of more than 26,000 passengers.
The European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said the world’s oceans recorded their hottest June on record. It also warned that ocean temperatures could reach new highs in the months that followed.
Warmer seas can strengthen tropical storms by supplying additional heat and moisture. That moisture can later fall as intense rainfall, increasing the risk of flooding when storms move over land.
The return of El Niño added another factor to the regional weather outlook. El Niño is a natural climate pattern that raises surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean and usually occurs every two to seven years.
As Bavi weakened, authorities across China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan continued monitoring rainfall, river levels, coastal waves, and electricity networks. The immediate priority remained keeping residents away from flood-prone areas while emergency crews assessed the storm’s effects.
