Typhoon Bavi Weakens After Striking China's East Coast as Strongest Storm of the Year

Chinese authorities had called for the precautionary evacuation of nearly two million people, most of them in Zhejiang province, a major economic and technology center on China's eastern seaboard. The massive evacuation was accompanied by the suspension of ferry services, the closure of many schools and the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Cleanup operations got under way on Sunday, with emergency crews using excavators and chainsaws to clear fallen trees from streets.

Mass evacuations in Zhejiang

The storm caused severe property damage along the coast. According to CCTV, more than 1,300 trees fell in Yueqing alone, and the broadcaster aired footage of a landslide in the mountainous north of the city in which large boulders crashed onto a mountain road. Floodwater reached up to half the height of a car tire in some areas, while meteorologists warned that the storm system could still bring long-lasting and widespread rainfall across eastern and northern China.

Taiwan takes a direct hit

Taiwan took a direct hit on Saturday as Bavi passed north of the island, bringing strong winds and heavy rain across much of the territory. Air traffic in Taiwan came to a near-complete standstill, with flooding reported across the island. Taiwan's fire department reported on Sunday that 134 people were injured, most of them in falls from motorcycles or by being struck by flying or falling objects. Nearly 80 centimeters of rain fell in an area in northern Miaoli County.

On the storm's path further south, Japan's far southern regions also endured heavy rain and severe storm gusts. According to broadcaster NHK, more than 200 flights were cancelled in Japan. Taiwan's Transportation Ministry reported that 137 international and 62 domestic flights were cancelled on Sunday as the system churned through the region.

Deadly toll in the Philippines

The storm's deadliest toll came in the Philippines, where 17 people died in a landslide and in flooding caused by the typhoon and intensified monsoon rain. Authorities said the victims were swept away by waves or drowned. No fatalities were reported in China or Taiwan.

Bavi's strongest gusts reached up to 144 kilometers per hour, and meteorologists continued to warn of heavy rainfall in eastern and northern China even as the storm weakened. The report was contributed to by Thorsten Iffland of the ARD Studio Tokyo and was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on 12 July 2026.