BEIJING — 12 July 2026, Typhoon Bavi weakened to a severe tropical storm on Sunday after striking China’s eastern Zhejiang province, but continued to bring powerful winds and heavy rain after authorities evacuated more than 2 million people.
The storm first made landfall in Yuhuan, a coastal city administered by Taizhou, at about 23:20 on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of around 144 kilometres per hour. It later made a second landfall in Yueqing, near Wenzhou.
Bavi’s rain bands stretched as far as 1,000 kilometres from end to end — roughly equivalent to the length of France — raising fears of widespread flooding and landslides as the slow-moving storm pushed inland.
Although Bavi weakened after reaching land, authorities warned that the enormous amount of moisture carried by the storm could produce several days of intense rainfall across eastern China.
More than 2.2 million people were evacuated in Zhejiang province, while over 180,000 were moved from vulnerable areas in neighbouring Fujian and more than 290,000 in Shanghai, according to official figures.
Schools, workplaces, tourist attractions and outdoor activities were suspended across affected areas. Hundreds of flights were cancelled at Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao airports, while dozens of train and ferry services were also halted.
In Yueqing, strong winds uprooted more than 1,300 trees, while streets were flooded and emergency crews used heavy machinery to clear fallen branches and debris.
Bavi had previously strengthened into a super typhoon over the Pacific, with winds reaching around 290 kilometres per hour, before affecting the Northern Mariana Islands, Japan’s southern islands and Taiwan.
At least 134 people were injured in Taiwan, mainly in accidents involving wind-blown debris and slippery roads. The storm did not make landfall there but brought strong winds, heavy rain and widespread transport disruption.
Bavi is the second major storm to affect China within a week. Earlier flooding associated with Tropical Storm Maysak killed at least 39 people in southern parts of the country.