Typhoon Bavi Forces Mass Evacuations in Eastern China
Monday, 2026/07/13234 words3 minutes537 reads
Typhoon Bavi made landfall in eastern China on July 12, 2026, after traversing portions of the Pacific Ocean. The formidable storm initially struck the coastal city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province on Saturday evening before making a subsequent landfall near Wenzhou around midnight, demonstrating the prolonged impact of the weather system.
Chinese state media reported that authorities relocated more than 1.7 million residents from vulnerable areas in Zhejiang province, with thousands more evacuating from neighboring provinces. Officials implemented comprehensive safety measures, suspending educational institutions, workplaces, and outdoor activities throughout the affected region. Transportation infrastructure experienced significant disruption, with approximately 400 flights cancelled and numerous train services suspended.
Despite weakening from super typhoon status to a severe tropical storm, Bavi continued to pose substantial threats through heavy precipitation and powerful winds. Meteorological services cautioned that the storm's rain bands retained considerable moisture content, projecting its trajectory northwest through eastern Anhui province before advancing toward the northern Yellow Sea.
The typhoon had previously impacted Japanese islands and passed near Taiwan, causing rainfall, strong winds, and transportation disruptions. In Zhejiang, residents described hearing roof tiles and tree branches succumbing to the wind's force, while news photographs documented vehicles overturned by the storm's intensity. The preemptive evacuation and service closures were strategically designed to mitigate risk before the most severe weather reached densely populated urban centers, particularly following the recent devastation caused by Typhoon Maysak in southern China.
