China Evacuates Over 1.7 Million as Typhoon Bavi Makes Landfall In Zhejiang

More than 1.7 million people were evacuated in eastern China on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Zhejiang province, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the region, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.

The typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 144 km/h (89 mph), made landfall in Yuhuan, Zhejiang, at 11:20 pm local time, with winds of up to 144 km/h (89 mph) near its centre, as per China's National Meteorological Centre. The storm is expected to continue moving northwest and gradually weaken.

Authorities in Zhejiang province evacuated more than 1.7 million people as of Saturday morning. Shanghai relocated around 34,000 residents from high-risk areas by Saturday noon. In the city of Ningde in Fujian province, more than 3,700 people were relocated from high-risk onshore areas as of Friday evening, and authorities in Fujian have placed over 17,000 emergency rescue workers on standby.

China's National Meteorological Centre issued an orange typhoon alert, the second-highest on a four-tier level, with many schools and ferry services suspended. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and some high-speed railway services halted. The centre also issued the first red alert for rainstorms of the year.

Government Response And Funding

Chinese authorities allocated 40 million yuan in central natural disaster relief funds to support Zhejiang and Fujian provinces' typhoon prevention and emergency rescue efforts. The funds will be used for emergency response, evacuation and risk mitigation efforts, according to a joint statement from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level-II emergency response for Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, the second-highest level.

Impact In Taiwan And The Philippines

The typhoon had earlier passed north of Taiwan, where authorities registered at least 113 injuries, some sustained while riding motorcycles in rain and winds on slippery roads. More than 14,200 people were evacuated around the island, including from the eastern county of Hualien and the central city of Taichung. Schools and offices in most parts of Taiwan were suspended Saturday.

Earlier, at least 17 people were killed in the southern Philippines, mostly due to landslides that were set off by seasonal monsoon rains that Bavi intensified before the typhoon blew away toward Taiwan, Philippine officials said Saturday.

Background On Typhoon Bavi

The storm is expected to be the largest to affect Taiwan since 1987, according to forecasters, and if it maintains its projected strength, it would become the most powerful typhoon in the Asia-Pacific region since Super Typhoon Kong-rey in 2024.

Across Japan's southern islands in the prefecture of Okinawa, local authorities warned of high waves, strong winds and storm surges, with more than 200 flights cancelled across the region.

China, Japan and Taiwan are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather linked to climate change, scientists say, with forecasters warning that the expected emergence of El Nino this year could raise temperatures and contribute to more frequent and intense typhoons.