Even as Bavi continues to slow and weaken on its northwesterly path over cooler seas, the typhoon is still a potent risk due to the sheer volume of moisture it holds within its rain bands, about the size of France from end to end.
Bavi had maximum sustained winds of 144 km per hour (90 mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, and was about 200 km (124 miles) southeast of Wenling in the eastern province of Zhejiang as of 0808 GMT, according to the National Meteorological Center.
Bavi is forecast to make landfall around Wenzhou, home to some 10 million people, early on Sunday.
State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang Province, where Wenzhou is located, and more than 100,000 in neighboring Fujian Province.
"I'm a little worried, but I think it'll be OK. We've been through typhoons before. We'll get through it," said Wenzhou resident Huang Xinghuan, 50, who was out buying groceries at a traditional wet market before it closed ahead of the typhoon.
