Typhoon Bavi hits China, over 1.7 million evacuated

Typhoon Bavi struck China's eastern coast on Saturday, bringing winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour, according to the Chinese meteorological center. Prior to landfall, more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated from areas at risk.

The typhoon, which previously impacted northern Taiwan and Japan's southern islands, reached the Zhejiang province around 11:20 PM local time on Saturday. Chinese forecasters anticipate that Bavi will gradually weaken.

This marks the second typhoon to hit China in just over a week, with Typhoon Maysak making landfall in southern China on July 3. Chinese authorities have issued high alerts and prepared for the typhoon's impact. Shanghai alone relocated approximately 34,000 residents from high-risk zones by Saturday afternoon.

Coastal cities in southeastern China braced for the storm, and Fujian province mobilized over 17,000 rescue personnel. The Chinese meteorological center issued an orange alert, the second-highest level on a four-tier scale. Numerous schools and ferry services were suspended, hundreds of flights were canceled, and some high-speed rail services were also affected. The government allocated 40 million yuan (approximately $5.9 million) from a central disaster relief fund to support typhoon prevention and emergency response efforts in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.