China's regime ordered the evacuation of more than 1.8 million people on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi churned toward the major eastern city of Wenzhou. The storm had already pummeled Japan's southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent winds, and brushed past northern Taiwan.
This potent risk, even as it weakened over cooler seas, carried a sheer volume of moisture within its rain bands, a mass about the size of France from end to end. Bavi maintained maximum sustained winds of 144 km per hour (90 mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The National Meteorological Center reported the typhoon was about 200 km (124 miles) southeast of Wenling in Zhejiang province as of 0808 GMT. Forecasters expected Bavi to make landfall around Wenzhou, a city home to some 10 million people, early on Sunday.
Mass Disruption
State media confirmed over 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang province, where Wenzhou is located. An additional 100,000 residents were moved in neighboring Fujian province.
In Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people, primarily from mountainous regions, as the island prepared for Bavi's northern approach. Officials took precautions against potential loss of life, with forecasts predicting almost 1 meter (3 feet) of rain in some areas.
The island's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside the capital Taipei, effectively closed with 920 international flights cancelled. All 282 domestic flights were also grounded.
Almost all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, shutting down any offices and schools that might have been open. The main north-south high-speed rail line continued operations but with reduced service.
The People's Burden
Wenzhou resident Huang Xinghuan, 50, was observed buying groceries at a traditional wet market before its closure. "I'm a little worried, but I think it'll be OK. We've been through typhoons before. We'll get through it," he stated.
Huang's family had stocked about two to three days' worth of water, a common preparation among the populace. He expressed confidence in supplies, noting, "I think supplies are well guaranteed now. There's no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies."
In Taipei, 68-year-old Yeh Mao-hsiung was out walking his dog amidst blustery wind and rain. "It's OK, it's not that serious," he remarked, adding, "It's just a little bit more wind."
Despite some public calm, gusts of around 100 kph in Taipei's Beitou neighborhood, nestled in the foothills, knocked down trees and caused rivers to swell. Chen Qiuqin, in her 60s, walked through steady rain in Wenzhou to help her elderly parents prepare their home.
She voiced concern for her mother's balcony flowerpots, planning to move them inside. "My parents are both elderly and they're home alone, so I wasn't at ease," Chen explained, highlighting the personal burden placed on families by the storm.
While Japan and Taiwan reported no deaths, 17 people died in the Philippines due to heavy rains from an enhanced southwest monsoon, worsened by Bavi's impact. Taiwan's fire department recorded 87 injuries, mostly from falls or being struck by objects.