China evacuated more than 1.8 million residents on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi approached the eastern city of Wenzhou after battering Japan’s southern Sakishima Islands with torrential rain and strong winds and passing close to northern Taiwan.
Although the typhoon weakened and slowed as it tracked northwest over cooler waters, authorities warned it remained dangerous because of the vast amount of moisture in its rain bands, which stretch roughly the length of France.
According to China’s National Meteorological Center, Bavi was packing maximum sustained winds of 144 km/h (90 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. As of 0808 GMT, it was located about 200 km southeast of Wenling in Zhejiang province and was expected to make landfall near Wenzhou, a city of about 10 million people, early Sunday.
State media reports that more than 1.7 million people had been relocated in Zhejiang province, while over 100,000 others were evacuated in neighbouring Fujian province.
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“I’m a little worried, but I think we’ll be okay. We’ve been through typhoons before, and we’ll get through this one too,” Wenzhou resident Huang Xinghuan said, while buying groceries before local markets closed ahead of the storm.
Huang said his household had stored enough drinking water for two to three days, adding, “I think supplies are well guaranteed now. There’s no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies.”
While Japan and Taiwan had not reported any fatalities linked to the typhoon, the Philippines recorded 17 deaths after heavy rains, intensified by Bavi, strengthened the southwest monsoon.
Taiwan’s fire department said “87 people were injured, mostly from motorcycle and bicycle accidents, falls, or being struck by objects.”
Taiwan spared the worst
Taiwan evacuated more than 14,000 people, mainly from mountainous regions, as Bavi approached from the north. Although the typhoon never made landfall on the island, authorities acted early because forecasts predicted nearly one metre (3 feet) of rainfall in some areas.
Most evacuees came from northern and eastern Taiwan. The storm disrupted air travel, with 920 international flights and all 282 domestic flights cancelled, effectively shutting down the island’s main international airport at Taoyuan, near Taipei.
Nearly every city and county declared a typhoon holiday on Saturday, closing offices and schools that would otherwise have operated over the weekend. However, some restaurants and convenience stores in Taipei remained open, while the north-south high-speed rail line continued operating on a reduced schedule.
Despite strong winds and rain, some residents still ventured outdoors.
In Taipei’s Beitou district, located near the surrounding mountains, wind gusts of about 100 km/h toppled trees and caused rivers to swell.
Back in Wenzhou, Chen Qiuqin, who is in her 60s, made her way through the rain to help her elderly parents prepare for the storm. She said she trusted the government’s response but wanted to secure loose items around their home.
Reuters
