BEIJING (AP) — Typhoon Bavi transitioned into a tropical storm on Sunday, hours after making landfall in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. Despite the decrease in intensity, the system continues to bring significant rainfall and powerful winds to several regions across the country.
According to China’s national weather center, the storm further weakened as it tracked northwestward through eastern China and entered Anhui province on Sunday afternoon.
The National Meteorological Center warned that strong winds and heavy rain are expected to affect numerous eastern and northeastern cities through Monday, noting that torrential rainfall was already recorded in Anhui on Sunday afternoon.
Preemptive measures were extensive, with state media reporting that more than 2.2 million people were evacuated in Zhejiang province. In Shanghai, officials moved over 290,000 residents from high-risk areas, while Fujian province evacuated upwards of 180,000 people.
The storm’s impact was evident in the coastal city of Yueqing, where state broadcaster CCTV reported that more than 1,300 trees were toppled, including at least 700 that were completely uprooted.
Travel was also severely disrupted; the Xinhua News Agency reported that approximately 653 inbound and outbound flights were expected to be canceled at Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao International Airports.
Prior to hitting the mainland, Bavi passed north of Taiwan on Saturday. While the storm did not make direct landfall on the island, Taiwan’s fire department reported at least 134 injuries, many caused by slippery road conditions or strong gusts affecting motorcyclists and cyclists.
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