China evacuates more than 600,000 as Typhoon Bavi nears Wenzhou

BEIJING: Chinese authorities evacuated more than 600,000 people on Saturday as Typhoon Bavi moved towards the eastern city of Wenzhou after lashing Japan’s southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and strong winds and passing near northern Taiwan.

The storm was forecast to make landfall near Wenzhou, a city of about 10 million people, in the early hours of Sunday. More than half a million people were moved to safety in Zhejiang province, where Wenzhou is located, while more than 100,000 others were evacuated in neighbouring Fujian province.

Although Bavi has been slowing and weakening as it tracks northwest over cooler waters, the storm still poses a serious threat because of the large amount of moisture packed into its rain bands, which stretch about the size of France from end to end.

In Wenzhou, residents made last-minute preparations before markets shut ahead of the typhoon. Speaking while buying groceries, 50-year-old resident Huang Xinghuan said he was concerned but not alarmed.

"I’m a little worried, but I think it’ll be ok. We’ve been through typhoons before. We’ll get through it,"

Huang said his family had stored enough water for about two to three days and added:

"I think supplies are well guaranteed now. There’s no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies,"

Another resident, Chen Qiuqin, who is in her 60s, said she was heading to her parents’ home in steady rain to help them get ready for the storm. She said she was mainly concerned about items left on a balcony and about her elderly parents being alone.

"I was worried about the flowerpots on my mother’s balcony, so I’m going to help move them inside. My parents are both elderly and they’re home alone, so I wasn’t at ease,"

Taiwan closes down as storm passes nearby

In Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people, mostly from mountainous areas, as the island shut down in anticipation of Bavi’s approach to the north. The typhoon did not make landfall there, but authorities acted on forecasts warning that some areas could receive nearly one metre of rain.

Most evacuations took place in the north and east of the island. The storm also led to widespread travel disruption, with 920 international flights cancelled, effectively shutting Taiwan’s main international airport at Taoyuan outside Taipei, along with all 280 domestic flights.

Almost every city and county in Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing offices and schools that might otherwise have remained open over the weekend. In Taipei, however, some restaurants and convenience stores continued operating. The island’s main north-south high-speed rail service also remained in operation, though with fewer services.

In the capital, some residents still ventured outside despite gusty winds and rain. Taipei resident Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, said while out walking his dog:

"It’s OK, it’s not that serious,"

He added:

"It’s just a little bit more wind."

Still, conditions were harsher in Taipei’s Beitou district, located near the surrounding foothills, where gusts of about 100 kilometres per hour brought down trees and caused rivers to swell.

Deaths reported in the Philippines

Japan and Taiwan had not reported any deaths from the typhoon as of Saturday. In the Philippines, however, 17 people were reported killed by heavy rains linked to an enhanced southwest monsoon that was worsened by Bavi’s effects.