Typhoon Bavi Makes Landfall in Eastern China

Overview

• Bavi struck Zhejiang province late Saturday night with sustained winds around 144–145 km/h after weakening from a Category 5 supertufão over the Pacific.
• Chinese authorities evacuated roughly 1.7–1.8 million people in Zhejiang and moved more than 2 million people across China and Taiwan as a precaution before landfall.
• Taiwan evacuated about 14,000 people, recorded widespread power outages and reported dozens of injuries while ferry, flight and rail services were suspended.
• Heavy rains linked to Bavi and a strengthened monsoon caused deadly flooding and landslides in the Philippines with reports of at least 17–18 fatalities.
• Satellite imagery from NASA/NOAA captured Bavi’s clear eye at peak intensity and experts point to unusually warm ocean temperatures as a factor that boosted the storm’s strength and moisture, increasing flood and landslide risk during recovery.