Typhoon Bavi Makes Landfall in Zhejiang, China as Authorities Evacuate 1.7 Million

Typhoon Bavi made landfall in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang, with state media reporting it was expected to gradually weaken after striking the coast.

The storm made landfall in China at 11:20pm (15:20GMT) on Saturday, Xinhua news agency said, citing the Zhejiang provincial meteorological observatory.

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Chinese authorities evacuated more than 1.7 million people on Saturday as eastern China braced for Bavi, which had maximum sustained winds of 144kph (89mph) near its centre.

In Zhejiang, the BBC said Bavi first came ashore in the coastal city of Taizhou on Saturday evening before making a second landfall in Wenzhou around midnight (17:00 GMT).

As Bavi approached, Shanghai transport authorities limited the speed on the overground sections of four subway lines and warned they might impose further limits or partially suspend services on Sunday and Monday.

The city government in Shanghai imposed a 60km/h (35mph) speed limit on all highways and cancelled all ferry services, while community workers patrolled streets using loudspeakers to remind residents to close windows and doors.

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In Taiwan, the BBC reported that Bavi brought heavy rainfall as it brushed past its northern tip, while authorities forecast “exceptionally heavy rains” to eastern Zhejiang and northeastern Fujian and said evacuations were “undertaken entirely to guard against the [worst-case] scenario”.

The BBC also said 400 flights and dozens of train services were cancelled, and that schools, work and outdoor activities were suspended in Zhejiang.

Bavi’s impact extended beyond China, with the BBC saying earlier landslides triggered by the storm killed at least 17 people in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, the AP report cited Office of Civil Defense spokesperson Diego Mariano saying a landslide set off by monsoon rains that Bavi intensified hit a village before dawn Friday in Malapatan, killing at least 10 villagers and leaving three others missing.

The AP also said Taiwanese authorities registered at least 113 injuries from Typhoon Bavi as of Saturday at 7 p.m., with more than 14,200 people evacuated around the island.

In Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, the AP reported that more than 200 flights were cancelled across the region, with strong winds and rain hitting islands including Ishigaki.