Tropical Storm Bavi Slams Eastern China After 2 Million Evacuations
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 12
Tropical Storm Bavi Slams Eastern China After 2 Million Evacuations
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 12
Summary
Bavi struck Yuhuan just before midnight Saturday and made a second landfall in Yueqing, bringing 101 kph winds, heavy rain and flooding after weakening from a typhoon.
Nearly 2 million people were evacuated before the storm hit, and authorities called Bavi the strongest storm to reach China this year.
Yueqing lost more than 1,300 trees, with about half uprooted, as emergency crews used chainsaws and excavators to clear flooded streets.
Transport disruption spread across eastern China: Hangzhou suspended service at two major rail stations and canceled 327 flights, while Shanghai canceled 684 flights and more than 1,600 trains.
By Sunday afternoon Bavi had moved into Anhui province and was forecast to track northeast toward the Yellow Sea by Tuesday, with heavy rain still expected across eastern and northern China.
With El Niño fueling monster typhoons like Bavi, is this the dangerous new normal for the Pacific region?
As back-to-back superstorms batter Asia, are current coastal city defense strategies becoming obsolete?
Typhoon Bavi’s 2026 Rampage: China Landfall, Regional Preparedness, and the Cost of Extreme Weather
Overview
Typhoon Bavi made landfall near Wenzhou, China, on July 12, 2026, after slowing and weakening over cooler seas. Despite this, the storm still posed a potent risk due to its massive rain bands, which carried enough moisture to threaten widespread and heavy rainfall across the region. The Chinese government responded with visible emergency preparations, and residents took personal precautions, creating a sense of public preparedness. These coordinated efforts helped reduce anxiety as the community faced the storm’s immediate impact, highlighting the importance of proactive measures in managing severe weather events.