Typhoon Bavi weakens to tropical storm after slamming eastern China, forcing 2.8 million evacuations and injuring 134 in Taiwan

Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to hit mainland China this year, swept through the country's eastern coast late Saturday, triggering massive evacuations and leaving a trail of fallen trees, landslides and waterlogged streets. The storm weakened to a tropical storm by Sunday morning but forecasters warned that the France-sized system could still bring prolonged rainfall.

Landfall and immediate impact

Bavi struck Zhejiang's coastal city of Yuhuan at around 11:20 p.m. local time on Saturday before making a second landfall in Yueqing, part of the major city of Wenzhou, around midnight. Maximum sustained winds near the storm's center eased to around 101 kph (63 mph) by Sunday morning, according to China's national weather center.

The winds were very strong. We could hear roof tiles and tree branches falling. Of course we were scared, but we live by the sea, so we're used to it.

In Yueqing alone, more than 1,300 trees were toppled, including at least 700 uprooted entirely, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The deepest flooding reached roughly half the height of a vehicle tire. Footage aired by CCTV showed a landslide in the city's mountainous north that sent large boulders tumbling onto a mountain road, while swollen river waters submerged nearby trees.

Evacuations and emergency response

More than 2.8 million people were evacuated ahead of Bavi's arrival, according to a Reuters tally of official figures. Zhejiang province accounted for about 2.2 million of those relocations. Shanghai evacuated more than 290,000 people from at-risk areas, while Fujian province moved over 180,000 residents to safety. Authorities in Fujian placed more than 17,000 rescue workers on alert.

Emergency crews deployed excavators and chainsaws on Sunday to clear waterlogged streets littered with fallen trees. The Chinese government allocated 40 million yuan (5.9 million dollars) in central disaster relief funds. China's National Meteorological Center issued the year's first red alert for storms on Saturday.

Transport and infrastructure disruption

Shanghai's Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport were expected to cancel around 653 inbound and outbound flights, according to Xinhua. In Taiwan, 137 international flights and 62 domestic flights were cancelled on Sunday. Many schools and ferry services were suspended, and some high-speed rail services were halted across the affected region.

Taiwan and regional effects

Bavi passed north of Taiwan on Saturday without making direct landfall but brought strong winds and driving rain across much of the island. The storm dumped almost 80 cm (31 inches) of rain in one area of Miaoli county. Taiwan's fire department said 134 people had been injured as of Sunday morning, mainly from falling off motorcycles, slipping, or being struck by objects. No deaths were reported on the island.

Earlier, Bavi intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the southern Philippines, where at least 17 people died, mostly due to landslides, Philippine authorities said. The storm was the second typhoon to hit China in just over a week, following Typhoon Maysak, which made landfall in southern China on July 3, killing 39 people and causing dozens of rivers to overflow and a dam to break.

In Kanmen, a coastal fishing town in Yuhuan, 72-year-old parcel shop owner Lin Yongjin estimated the typhoon had caused more than 6,000 yuan (775 euros) in damage.

After it came ashore, there was nothing we could do. Rainwater poured into the house. We spent the whole night dealing with it and didn't get to sleep until after 5 am.

Forecast and continuing threat

Forecasters warned that Bavi, though weakened, could still unleash prolonged and widespread rainfall across eastern and northern China. The National Meteorological Center said strong winds and heavy rain were expected to affect many cities in eastern and northeastern China on Monday, with Anhui province already recording heavy to extreme rain by Sunday afternoon.