Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in China, forcing 2 million to evacuate; thousands of flights canceled

Typhoon Bavi, the ninth typhoon of the season, made landfall in eastern China on Sunday, forcing about 2 million people to evacuate across the country. Thousands of flights were canceled and high-speed rail services suspended, while more than 100 people were injured in Taiwan as the storm swept through the region.

According to Reuters, AP and AFP, at least 39 people had already died in heavy rains and landslides in southern China in recent days before Bavi came ashore along the Zhejiang coast late Sunday.

Chinese state media, citing Zhejiang provincial meteorological authorities, said the typhoon first made landfall near Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province, at around 11:20 p.m. Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometers per hour at its center.

The storm briefly moved back out to sea before making a second landfall near Yueqing, also in Zhejiang, about 20 minutes later.

Heavy rain lashed coastal areas, raising fears of flooding, river overflow, inundated farmland and widespread transport disruptions.

At least 2 million people had evacuated to safety before the typhoon made landfall.

About 1.72 million of those evacuees were from Zhejiang Province alone, where no casualties have been officially confirmed so far.

Zhejiang authorities suspended all school classes, work, public transportation and outdoor activities.

In the capital Beijing, more than 100,000 residents evacuated ahead of expected heavy rains. Fujian Province saw 130,000 people move to safety, while about 34,000 were relocated from coastal areas of Shanghai.

The typhoon also dealt a heavy blow to the aviation sector.

More than 2,800 domestic and international flights across China were forecast to be canceled on Sunday alone.

The Global Times, an English-language outlet affiliated with the People's Daily, cited data from flight-tracking platform VariFlight to report that thunderstorm warnings had been issued at 45 airports nationwide, including those in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Changzhou in Jiangsu Province.

Shanghai's Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport also saw their operating capacity significantly reduced, with about 30 percent of departures and arrivals expected to be canceled.

The Global Times reported that 458 flights were canceled at Pudong Airport and 195 at Hongqiao Airport.

Rail services were also disrupted.

Hangzhou West Railway Station temporarily halted all train services Sunday for passenger safety, and some passenger trains running through Jiangxi and Fujian provinces were also suspended.

Taiwan also suffered damage as the typhoon passed through.

Taiwan's Central News Agency reported that the island's Central Disaster Response Center said 113 people had been injured as of 7 p.m. Sunday, including five foreign nationals. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.

Some 14,000 people were evacuated in Taiwan, hundreds of flights were canceled, and more than 170,000 households lost power.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration warned that as the typhoon passed through waters north of the island, it could bring torrential rain and dangerous waves reaching up to 10 meters along the coast.

Meteorological authorities forecast that Bavi would gradually weaken as it moves northwest. However, heavy rain is expected to continue in some parts of China through Wednesday.

Experts warned that even as the typhoon weakens, the risk of landslides and river flooding could rise in areas already saturated by heavy rainfall. Authorities in both China and Taiwan said they are maintaining emergency response systems in anticipation of low-lying area flooding and secondary disasters.