More than 260,000 evacuated in China as Typhoon Bavi brings severe floods
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A car passing a fallen tree in a flooded road after heavy rain brought by Typhoon Bavi in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on July 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- More than 260,000 people were evacuated in Liaoning province due to severe flooding caused by Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm to hit mainland China in 2026.
- Typhoon Bavi, covering an area the size of France, formed 13 days ago and remains powerful due to its well-preserved warm core, making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year.
- Heavy rain and flooding continue, causing school closures and transport disruptions in northeastern China, with intense rainfall expected as Bavi slows and releases its moisture.
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HONG KONG – Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to strike mainland China in 2026, forced more than 260,000 people to evacuate their homes in north-eastern China’s Liaoning province as it brought intense flooding.
Heavy rain was expected to persist through July 14, with extreme downpours in some areas, the authorities said, as Bavi drew vast amounts of tropical moisture northwards, creating a sustained flow of humid air into northern China.
In Shenyang, Liaoning's provincial capital, a floating lighthouse severed its high-voltage power line and began drifting through flood waters in main roads and crossing under a bridge, according to videos posted on Chinese social media. All schools and training institutions have been ordered to suspend classes, while transport services have been largely disrupted in north-eastern cities, including in Shenyang and Jilin.
Bavi, covering an area the size of France, formed in the Pacific Ocean about two weeks ago. Its structure remained largely intact on July 13 even after making landfall in eastern China on July 11, making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region in 2026.
Its longevity is largely due to its unusually well-preserved warm core, Chinese meteorologists say, allowing Bavi to retain much of its moisture as it churns north towards the Korean peninsula.
Intense rainfall is expected when Bavi, currently classified as a tropical storm, slows further and starts to release all the moisture it has been holding. REUTERS
