Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in China as evacuations near 2 million

Close to two million people were evacuated before Typhoon Bavi came ashore in Taizhou, a coastal city in eastern China, late on Saturday (July 11).

The storm had earlier battered Japan’s southern Sakishima island chain and passed close to northern Taiwan.

Although Taiwan escaped a direct landfall, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people, mainly from mountainous areas in the north and east, as the island shut down for Bavi’s approach to the north.

The precautions were intended to prevent loss of life after forecasts showed that some places could receive almost one metre (3 feet) of rain.

A total of 920 international flights were cancelled, effectively closing Taiwan’s main international airport at Taoyuan, outside Taipei, while all 282 domestic flights were also cancelled.

Almost all cities and counties declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing offices and schools that might otherwise have opened over the weekend.

Some restaurants and convenience stores in Taipei remained open, and the main north–south high-speed rail line continued to operate with a reduced service.

People were still outside in downtown Taipei despite the blustery wind and rain.

Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, was taking his dog for a morning walk when he said, “It’s OK, it’s not that serious. It’s just a little bit more wind.”

In Beitou, a neighbourhood in the foothills surrounding the capital, gusts of about 100km/h knocked down trees and caused rivers to swell.

Japan and Taiwan had not reported any deaths from the typhoon at that stage.

In the Philippines, 17 people died in heavy rain brought by an enhanced south-west monsoon whose effects were worsened by Bavi.

Taiwan’s fire department recorded 113 injuries, most involving falls from motorcycles or bicycles, people falling over, or people being struck by objects.

The National Meteorological Centre said Bavi made landfall on the Zhejiang coast at about 11.20pm local time (1520 GMT).

Its maximum sustained winds were around 144km/h (90mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Bavi was slowing and weakening while following a north-westerly course, but the amount of moisture held in its rain bands meant it remained a potent threat.

From end to end, those bands were about the size of France.

State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang province, where Taizhou is located.

More than 100,000 were also evacuated in neighbouring Fujian province, more than 100,000 in Beijing and about 34,000 in Shanghai.

In Wenzhou, Huang Xinghuan, 50, was buying groceries at a traditional wet market before it closed ahead of the typhoon.

“I’m a little worried, but I think it’ll be OK. We’ve been through typhoons before. We’ll get through it,” he said.

Huang said his family had stored enough water for two or three days.

“I think supplies are well guaranteed now. There’s no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies,” he added.

Also in Wenzhou, Chen Qiuqin, who is in her 60s, walked through steady rain to her parents’ home to help them prepare for the typhoon.

She said she was not too concerned because of the government’s preparations, but remained uneasy about her elderly parents being alone.

“I was worried about the flowerpots on my mother’s balcony, so I’m going to help move them inside. My parents are both elderly, and they’re home alone, so I wasn’t at ease,” she said.

Source: Reuters