TAIPEI, Taiwan — Typhoon Bavi made landfall in eastern China before dawn Sunday after prompting the evacuation of nearly two million people, forcing widespread transport disruptions, school closures, and emergency measures across several coastal provinces as authorities warned of dangerous flooding, landslides, and storm surges.
China’s National Meteorological Center said Bavi came ashore near Taizhou in Zhejiang Province with maximum sustained winds of about 144 kilometers per hour (89 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane. Although the storm has begun to weaken after moving inland, forecasters warned that its extensive rain bands continue to pose a significant threat of flash floods, overflowing rivers, and landslides across eastern China.
Authorities evacuated more than 1.7 million residents in Zhejiang Province and over 100,000 people in neighboring Fujian Province, bringing the total number of evacuations to nearly 1.8 million. In Shanghai, approximately 34,000 residents were relocated from flood-prone and other high-risk areas as a precaution.
China maintained an orange typhoon alert, the country’s second-highest warning level, while weather authorities also kept a red rainstorm alert in effect for parts of eastern China due to the heightened risk of severe flooding. Emergency crews remained on standby as the government allocated 40 million yuan (about US$5.9 million) in disaster relief funds to support rescue operations, emergency response, and recovery efforts in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.
The typhoon caused widespread disruptions across eastern China. Hundreds of flights were canceled, ferry services suspended, and several high-speed railway operations halted, while schools remained closed in many affected areas as emergency measures continued.
Taiwan also experienced significant impacts as Bavi passed just north of the island. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported at least 113 people were injured, many in motorcycle-related traffic accidents during heavy rain and strong winds. More than 14,200 residents were evacuated, particularly from mountainous areas in Hualien County and Taichung City, while most schools and government offices remained closed during the storm’s passage. Nearly 1,200 domestic and international flights were also canceled.
The typhoon earlier affected Japan’s southern islands, particularly Okinawa Prefecture and the Sakishima island chain, where authorities warned residents about dangerous waves, storm surges, and powerful winds. More than 200 flights were canceled as heavy rain and strong winds swept across the region.
Before reaching Taiwan and eastern China, Typhoon Bavi intensified the southwest monsoon over the Philippines, triggering days of heavy rainfall that caused deadly landslides and flooding across several southern provinces. According to the Philippine Office of Civil Defense, at least 17 people were killed, most of them in landslides.
The deadliest incident occurred in Malapatan, Sarangani, where a landslide buried a village before dawn on Friday, killing 10 people and leaving three others missing. Another landslide in Calanogas, Lanao del Sur, claimed five lives, while six people remained missing. Two other people drowned in floodwaters in Bukidnon, according to Philippine disaster officials.
Philippine authorities also said around 11,000 residents were evacuated to 77 emergency shelters, most of them in southern provinces affected by days of monsoon rains enhanced by the typhoon.
Although Bavi is steadily weakening after making landfall, meteorologists warned that its vast circulation continues to carry enormous amounts of moisture capable of producing torrential rainfall across eastern China over the next several days. Authorities remain on high alert as the storm moves farther inland, where flooding, landslides, and swollen rivers are expected to remain the primary hazards even after the strongest winds subside.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
