Powerful typhoon makes landfall in China, forcing nearly two million evacuations

A powerful typhoon, identified as Bavi, recently made landfall in eastern China, prompting the evacuation of nearly two million residents from affected coastal areas. The storm, which first struck the city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province before making a second landfall in Wenzhou, carried strong winds and torrential rains. Authorities in Zhejiang alone relocated over 1.7 million people to safety, with additional evacuations occurring in neighboring provinces like Fujian and major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Before reaching China, Typhoon Bavi had impacted Japan's southern Sakishima islands and brought heavy rainfall to northern Taiwan, causing power outages and travel disruptions in those regions. Despite weakening to a severe tropical storm after landfall, forecasters warned that Bavi's extensive rainbands, stretching across a vast area, continued to pose a significant risk of widespread flooding and landslides across eastern and northern China.

In response to the typhoon, Chinese officials suspended schools, businesses, and various transportation services, including flights and train routes, to ensure public safety. Emergency response measures were activated, and rescue teams remained on standby as the country braced for the storm's full impact and its potential to cause further damage.