Typhoon Bavi weakens to tropical storm after hitting eastern China, 1.7 million evacuated, 17 dead in Philippines

Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to hit mainland China this year, struck the eastern province of Zhejiang late on Saturday 11 July, before weakening to a severe tropical storm by Sunday morning. The system had already left at least 17 people dead in the Philippines and prompted the pre-emptive evacuation of almost two million people across eastern China.

Landfall and immediate impact

Bavi reached the cities of Yuhan first, then Yueqing approximately 20 minutes later, according to the state news agency Xinhua, which cited the local meteorological observatory. Landfall occurred around 23:20 local time (15:20 GMT) on Saturday. By 05:00 Sunday (21:00 GMT Saturday), the China Meteorological Administration had downgraded the system to a severe tropical storm. In Yueqing, more than 1,300 trees fell, over 700 of them uprooted, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Floodwaters in the worst-hit areas reached a depth equivalent to half the height of a vehicle tyre.

Evacuations and emergency response

More than 1.7 million people were evacuated in Zhejiang province alone, over half of them in the city of Wenzhou. A further 130,000 were evacuated in Fujian province to the south. In the north, heavy rainfall forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 people in Beijing, according to the capital's government, while another 34,000 were moved from coastal areas of Shanghai. The Ministry of Transport raised its emergency response level for heavy rainfall to Level II on Sunday and maintained a Level III response for typhoons, after the national meteorological service issued an orange storm alert and a yellow typhoon alert, Bloomberg reported.

Transport disruption

Shanghai's Pudong and Hongqiao airports planned to cancel 653 arriving and departing flights on 12 July, nearly 30% of scheduled services at both airports, CCTV reported. In the neighbouring city of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, two major railway stations suspended all services and at least 327 flights were cancelled at Xiaoshan International Airport. Across Shanghai, a total of 1,620 train services and 684 flights were cancelled. Local authorities in Shanghai advised residents to keep doors and windows securely closed, avoid going out unless necessary, and remain alert to the risk of falling objects outdoors.

Ensure that doors and windows are well closed, avoid going out unless necessary, and be alert to the risk of falling objects outside.

Forecast and further rainfall risk

The National Meteorological Centre forecast that Bavi would turn northeastward into eastern Anhui province on Monday 13 July before moving into the northern Yellow Sea and gradually transforming into an extratropical cyclone. Heavy rainfall is expected to begin on Tuesday 14 July across Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, and parts of northeastern China. Some areas of Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi could experience extremely intense downpours. Strong winds could affect maritime transport, offshore operations, and aquaculture along China's eastern coast. The storm is expected to cause heavy or torrential rain in the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, and Anhui from Monday, worsening flood risks in areas already saturated by earlier rainfall.

The storm will turn northeastward in eastern Anhui on Monday 13 July before moving into the northern Yellow Sea and gradually transforming into an extratropical cyclone.

Earlier destruction and broader context

Before reaching China, Bavi had struck northern Taiwan and remote islands in southern Japan. Extreme weather has already caused havoc in southern and central China this week, with storms leaving at least 39 people dead, dozens of rivers overflowing, and one dam bursting. The combined toll from the Philippines and China's preceding storms underscores the severity of the 2026 typhoon season across East Asia.