Typhoon Bavi made landfall in eastern China's Zhejiang province on July 11, 2026, prompting the evacuation of 1.7 million residents as authorities mobilized emergency response teams to mitigate the impact of severe winds and heavy rain.
Storm details and preparations
The typhoon struck the coastal city of Wenling, with maximum sustained winds reaching 144 kilometers per hour (89 mph), according to the China Meteorological Administration. Xinhua News Agency images showed security personnel cordoning off coastal areas in Shitang Town, Wenling, on July 10, ahead of the storm's arrival. Local governments issued red alerts, the highest warning level, and suspended flights, train services, and ferry operations across the region.
Mass evacuations and emergency response
Zhejiang provincial authorities reported that 1.7 million people had been relocated to safer areas by midday Saturday, with emergency shelters set up in schools and public buildings. More than 10,000 rescue workers, including military personnel and police, were deployed to assist with evacuations and reinforce flood defenses. The province's flood control headquarters stated that 30,000 boats had been called back to port, and construction sites were shut down as a precaution.
Impact on infrastructure and agriculture
The typhoon brought torrential rains of up to 250 millimeters (10 inches) in some areas, raising fears of landslides and flash floods. Agricultural losses were expected to be significant, with rice paddies and fruit orchards in low-lying areas submerged. Power outages affected at least 200,000 households in Zhejiang, according to the State Grid Corporation of China. The city of Ningbo, a major port, suspended operations, disrupting supply chains.
According to the Zhejiang Provincial Emergency Management Department, the evacuation effort was the largest in the province since Typhoon Lekima in 2019, which caused billions of dollars in damage. Officials urged residents to remain indoors and avoid coastal areas until the storm passes.
Regional effects and warnings
Typhoon Bavi weakened after landfall but continued to bring heavy rain to neighboring Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. The China National Meteorological Center warned of potential flooding in the Yangtze River basin and advised local governments to monitor reservoirs and river levels. In Shanghai, about 150 kilometers north of the landfall site, authorities canceled outdoor events and advised residents to stay home.
The storm is the second major typhoon to hit China in 2026, following Typhoon Gaemi in June. Climate scientists have linked the increasing intensity of typhoons in the Pacific to warmer sea surface temperatures, a trend expected to continue with climate change, according to a recent study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
