BEIJING/SHANGHAI — China is confronting an intense typhoon season as Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall in the eastern province of Zhejiang, forcing the evacuation of more than 2.39 million people across multiple coastal regions.
The powerful storm made its first landfall at 11:20 p.m. on July 11 in Kanmen, Yuhuan, Taizhou, Zhejiang, with maximum sustained winds of 40 meters per second (Force 13) near the center and a minimum central pressure of 955 hPa. It made a second landfall shortly after midnight on July 12 in Qingjiang, Yueqing, Wenzhou. The massive scale of the typhoon prompted residents across eastern China to stockpile supplies and shutter businesses.
Unprecedented Evacuation Efforts
Chinese authorities have mounted one of the largest evacuation operations in recent years. As of 2:00 p.m. on July 11, Zhejiang Province alone had relocated over 2.21 million people and activated 19,000 emergency shelters. Fujian Province had evacuated more than 180,000 people from high-risk areas, with over 60,000 vessels recalled to port. Shanghai also evacuated at least 34,000 people from coastal and high-risk areas. The total evacuation figure across the region exceeded 2.39 million.
Local governments have activated emergency response protocols. Zhejiang raised its typhoon emergency response to Level I. The province suspended all schools and training institutions, halted 163 passenger ferry routes, canceled 912 train services and 855 flights, and closed 444 A-level scenic spots, 78 public cultural venues, and 222 high-risk amusement facilities.
Active Typhoon Season Ahead
The arrival of Bavi follows earlier storms that have already tested China’s coastal defenses. Meteorological authorities predict an above-average typhoon season, forecasting frequent formations in the western Pacific and South China Sea.
Central authorities have responded swiftly. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management pre-allocated 40 million yuan in central natural disaster relief funds to support flood and typhoon emergency response and relief efforts in Fujian and Zhejiang. The National Meteorological Center issued this year’s first red alert for heavy rain—the highest level—alongside orange alerts for typhoons and yellow alerts for severe convection.
The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters maintained a Level II emergency response for typhoon and flood prevention in Zhejiang and Fujian. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV emergency response for flood defense in the two provinces.
Climate experts warn that the increased frequency and strength of tropical cyclones pose significant challenges for China’s coastal infrastructure and disaster response capabilities. International observers note that China’s massive evacuation efforts reflect lessons learned from previous disasters, though the scale of this year’s storm season raises concerns about long-term climate resilience in the world’s second-largest economy.
Bavi weakened to a severe tropical storm after landfall, but meteorologists warn that its remnants could continue to bring heavy rainfall to inland provinces over the coming days.
