Typhoon Bavi weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday, hours after making landfall in China's eastern Zhejiang province. Despite its reduced intensity, the storm continued to bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the country.
The storm moved northwestward across eastern China into Anhui province on Sunday afternoon, according to China’s national weather center. Strong winds and heavy rain are expected to impact many eastern and northeastern Chinese cities on Sunday and Monday, with heavy to torrential rain recorded in provinces including Anhui.
In Zhejiang province, state media reported that more than 2.2 million people were evacuated. The city of Shanghai, located within Zhejiang, evacuated over 290,000 people from at-risk areas. Fujian province also evacuated more than 180,000 people.
The coastal city of Yueqing in Zhejiang province reported that more than 1,300 trees were toppled, with at least 700 uprooted, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao International Airport anticipated cancellations of approximately 653 inbound and outbound flights due to the storm, the official Xinhua News Agency stated.
Typhoon Bavi had passed north of Taiwan on Saturday without making a direct landfall. Taiwan’s fire department reported that at least 134 people across the island sustained injuries, some while riding motorcycles or bicycles in the strong winds or due to slippery road surfaces.