Typhoon Bavi slams into eastern China, over 2 million evacuated
Typhoon Bavi, downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Sunday, hit eastern China's coast, forcing the evacuation of more than two million people. No casualties or damage have been reported yet.
Typhoon Bavi was downgraded to a severe tropical storm on Sunday after making landfall in eastern China, where authorities had evacuated nearly two million people in its path. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Before reaching China, the storm lashed northern Taiwan and Japan's remote southwestern islands, toppling trees and leaving tens of thousands without power. Extreme weather already wreaked havoc on southern and central China in the past week, with storms leaving at least 39 dead and causing dozens of rivers to overflow and a reservoir to burst.
Bavi first made landfall at around 11:20 pm Saturday local time in Zhejiang province, packing winds of 144 kilometers per hour, state news agency Xinhua reported. National TV station CCTV reported fierce winds and heavy rain in the city of Yuhuan, with roadside trees uprooted. By 5:00 am Sunday, its intensity weakened to severe tropical storm levels.
Zhejiang provincial officials forecast torrential rain in coastal regions and the possibility of flash floods, transport disruptions, overflowing rivers, and inundated farmland. About 1.72 million people had been evacuated as of Saturday morning. More than 400 flights and dozens of train services were cancelled in the province. Residents used planks to reinforce metal shutters and taped windows.
Torrential rain further north prompted the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from their homes in Beijing. Over 130,000 people fled their homes in Fujian province, and around 34,000 people were evacuated from Shanghai's coastal and high-risk areas.
In the Philippines, the death toll from landslides and other incidents triggered by Bavi rose to 18. Nearly 11,000 people fled their homes, and dozens of ports remain closed. In northern Taiwan, over 14,000 people were evacuated, hundreds of flights cancelled, and more than 170,000 households suffered power outages. Thousands of households in Okinawa also lost power.
The European Union's Copernicus Marine Service said last week that oceans experienced their hottest June on record. Warmer oceans intensify tropical storms and add more moisture. This year also saw the return of El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that warms Pacific Ocean surface temperatures.
