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Typhoon Bavi made landfall in eastern China’s Zhejiang province late Saturday, forcing the evacuation of nearly two million people, while severe weather linked to the storm and the southwest monsoon triggered landslides that killed at least 17 people in the Philippines.
According to Reuters, Bavi struck the coastal city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province late Saturday after passing through Japan’s southern Sakishima Islands and skirting northern Taiwan.
Although the typhoon weakened and slowed as it moved northwest, forecasters warned it continued to pose a significant threat due to its vast rainbands, which span an area roughly the size of France.
Chinese authorities evacuated about two million residents ahead of the storm and issued high-level weather alerts across eastern China. Bavi packed maximum sustained winds of 144 km/h (89 mph) near its centre at landfall.
State media reported that more than 1.7 million people were evacuated from Zhejiang province, while over 100,000 residents each were moved to safety in neighbouring Fujian province and Beijing. Around 34,000 people were also evacuated in Shanghai.
In the Philippines, at least 17 people were killed in landslides caused by torrential rain brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon and the lingering effects of Typhoon Bavi.
In Taiwan, authorities reported at least 134 injuries, many of them from motorcycle accidents on rain-slicked roads caused by strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Around 14,210 people were evacuated across Taiwan on Saturday, particularly from Taichung City and Hualien County. Schools, government offices and most restaurants remained closed as the storm disrupted daily life.
