Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in eastern China, over 1 million evacuated

Typhoon Bavi made landfall in China's eastern Zhejiang province late Saturday, prompting extensive evacuations and widespread disruptions. The storm followed a path that had already lashed Japan's southern islands and Taiwan with heavy rain and strong winds.

Chinese authorities evacuated more than 1.7 million people from areas deemed vulnerable ahead of the typhoon's arrival. Shanghai alone relocated approximately 34,000 residents from high-risk zones. Coastal cities in Fujian province also implemented emergency measures, moving thousands to safety and placing over 17,000 rescue personnel on standby.

The national meteorological center issued an orange typhoon alert, the second-highest level in China's four-tier warning system. In response, authorities suspended classes, halted ferry services, canceled hundreds of flights, and disrupted several high-speed rail operations across the affected regions.

Bavi, with maximum sustained winds of 144 kmph (89 mph) near its center, tracked north of Taiwan before hitting Zhejiang. Officials expect the storm to weaken as it moves inland. Before reaching China, the typhoon brought intense rainfall and powerful winds to Japan and Taiwan. In the Philippines, Bavi intensified seasonal monsoon rains, leading to at least 17 deaths, primarily from landslides triggered by the heavy downpours.

This is the second typhoon to strike China in just over a week, following Typhoon Maysak, which made landfall in the country's south the previous weekend. Disaster response agencies along the eastern coastline remain on high alert.