Over 900,000 flee in China as typhoon lashes Taiwan, Japan islands

More than 900,000 people have fled their homes in China as Typhoon Bavi intensifies and approaches the coast. The government announced the evacuations as the storm lashed northern Taiwan and Japan's southwestern islands on Saturday, causing power outages and toppling trees.

“

The proactive, all-out mobilisation, which is sparing no effort or cost, is undertaken entirely to guard against the (worst-case) scenario.

Typhoon Bavi is forecast to make landfall early Sunday near Wenzhou, a major city in Zhejiang province. Authorities there had evacuated 887,801 residents by Friday evening, describing the mobilization as a measure to guard against the worst-case scenario. Footage showed residents reinforcing shops with wood and taping windows as the storm, predicted to bring "exceptionally heavy rains" to Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, drew nearer.

Further north, torrential rain prompted the evacuation of over 100,000 people as authorities increased water discharge from the Miyun Reservoir. In Taiwan, streets were deserted and businesses closed as wind and rain battered the region. Over 14,000 people evacuated, hundreds of flights were canceled, and more than 170,000 households lost power.

“

Everyone is afraid of the severe weather and staying indoors, but I only came out because I have orders.

In the Philippines, the death toll from heavy rains associated with Bavi rose to 18, primarily on the southern island of Mindanao. Nearly 11,000 people fled their homes, and dozens of ports remain closed. Japan's southwestern islands also experienced power outages affecting over 18,000 households as the typhoon passed.

“

Some people are on duty and wouldn't have anything to eat, so I still need to deliver food to them.