China has evacuated more than 600,000 people in its eastern region as Typhoon Bavi approaches the major city of Wenzhou. The storm is forecast to make landfall early Sunday morning after previously battering parts of Japan and bypassing northern Taiwan.
State media reported that over 500,000 residents were moved to safety in Zhejiang province where Wenzhou is located alongside another 100,000 people in neighboring Fujian province. Although Typhoon Bavi has gradually weakened over cooler waters, meteorologists warn that its massive rain bands still pose a severe risk of torrential flooding.
Local authorities and residents in Wenzhou have heavily prepared for the storm with citizens stocking up on essential food and water supplies. Despite the massive scale of the evacuations local communities expressed confidence in government safety measures.
The storm's broader regional impact has already caused significant disruption. In Taiwan extreme weather conditions led to the cancellation of 920 international flights and 282 domestic flights effectively shutting down the island's main international airport.
The Taiwanese government also evacuated 14,000 individuals from high-risk mountainous zones. While no casualties have been reported in Japan or Taiwan the enhanced monsoon system exacerbated by the typhoon has tragically claimed 17 lives in the Philippines.
