Even as Bavi continues to slow and weaken on its northwesterly path, 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 about 144 km per hour, equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, when it made landfall at around 11:20 p.m. local time, according to the National Meteorological Center.
State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang province, where Taizhou is located, along with more than 100,000 each from neighboring Fujian province and Beijing, and some 34,000 from Shanghai.
A person rides an electric scooter through a flooded road after heavy rain brought by Typhoon Bavi in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China July 12, 2026. Photo by Reuters
A person rides an electric scooter through a flooded road after heavy rain brought by Typhoon Bavi in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China July 12, 2026.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.
