Typhoon Bavi has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall in eastern China’s Zhejiang province on Sunday. Despite the reduction in intensity, the storm continues to move northwestward into Anhui province, bringing persistent strong winds and heavy rainfall to the region.
According to the National Meteorological Center, the impact of the storm is expected to last through Monday across various eastern and northeastern Chinese cities. Heavy to torrential rain was already recorded in provinces including Anhui by Sunday afternoon.
The scale of the emergency response has been significant. State media reports indicate that more than 2.2 million people were evacuated across Zhejiang province. In Shanghai, officials moved over 290,000 residents from at-risk areas, while Fujian province reported the evacuation of more than 180,000 people. Infrastructure damage has also been noted, particularly in the coastal city of Yueqing in Zhejiang, where state broadcaster CCTV reported that over 1,300 trees were toppled, with at least 700 of them uprooted.
Transportation has faced major disruptions as a result of the weather. The official Xinhua News Agency stated that approximately 653 inbound and outbound flights were expected to be canceled at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport.
Before reaching the Chinese mainland, Bavi passed north of Taiwan on Saturday. While it did not make direct landfall on the island, the storm caused significant disruption. Taiwan’s fire department reported that at least 134 people were injured, with many sustaining harm while riding bicycles or motorcycles amidst the strong winds or due to slippery road conditions.
