Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm to hit mainland China this year, battered the country’s eastern coastline on Sunday with powerful winds and heavy rain, putting emergency response systems under pressure as authorities warned of continued severe weather.
Although Bavi weakened into a tropical storm after moving inland on Sunday morning, weather officials cautioned that the vast storm system roughly the size of France could bring persistent and extensive rainfall across eastern and northern China over the next several days, reports Reuters.
Authorities evacuated almost two million residents before the storm arrived, the majority from Zhejiang province, one of China’s key economic and technology hubs.
The typhoon first came ashore in Yuhuan, a coastal city in Zhejiang, at about 11:20pm local time on Saturday before making a second landfall around midnight in Yueqing, which is under the jurisdiction of Wenzhou.
“The winds were very strong,” Yueqing resident Li Liangxing told Reuters. “We could hear roof tiles and tree branches falling. Of course we were scared, but we live by the sea, so we’re used to it.”
Pointing to a flooded canal beside his residential complex, Li said he had never witnessed water levels rise so high.
“There used to be a walkway there, but now it’s underwater.”
According to state broadcaster CCTV, more than 1,300 trees were brought down in Yueqing, including over 700 that were completely uprooted. Floodwaters reached about halfway up a vehicle’s tyres in the worst-hit areas.
On Sunday, emergency workers used excavators and chainsaws to remove fallen trees and clear flooded roads.
In the mountainous northern part of the city, CCTV footage showed a landslide sending massive rocks onto a mountain road, while swollen rivers submerged nearby trees.
In Kanmen, a fishing town in Yuhuan, 72-year-old parcel shop owner Lin Yongjin assessed the damage left by the storm.
His seaside shop suffered extensive damage after the metal supports holding the entrance canopy collapsed, while a nearby building lost one of its windows. Lin estimated his losses at more than 6,000 yuan ($885).
“After it came ashore, there was nothing we could do. Rainwater poured into the house. We spent the whole night dealing with it and didn’t get to sleep until after 5 am,” he said.
Having experienced numerous typhoons over the years, Lin said Bavi was among the strongest. “It was a very powerful typhoon. It made landfall right here in Kanmen. We were right in its path.”
Flights and rail services affected
Before reaching mainland China, Bavi swept past northern Taiwan on Saturday, bringing widespread rain and strong winds. Nearly 80 centimetres (31 inches) of rainfall was recorded in one location in Miaoli County.
Taiwan’s fire department reported 134 injuries on Sunday, mainly involving people falling from motorcycles, slipping, or being hit by objects. No fatalities were reported.
The transport ministry said 137 international and 62 domestic flights were cancelled.
In mainland China, two major railway stations suspended all services, while Xiaoshan International Airport cancelled 327 flights.
Neighbouring Shanghai also experienced major transport disruption, with state-backed The Paper reporting the cancellation of 1,620 train services and 684 flights.
As Bavi continues moving across China, areas along and near its track may receive several hundred millimetres of rainfall within a few days, increasing the likelihood of floods, landslides and urban waterlogging, said Benjamin Horton, the dean of the School of Energy and Environment at the City University of Hong Kong.
“Even if the storm weakens after landfall, its large circulation can continue to generate destructive weather hundreds of kilometres inland,” he said.
Scientists have warned China could face more extreme weather this year with the expected emergence of the El Nino weather pattern, which can drive up temperatures and shift typhoon tracks westward toward the country’s coast.
“Rapid intensification (of typhoons) reduces preparation time for communities and emergency managers, making these events particularly challenging,” Horton said.
