Tropical Storm Bavi has made landfall in eastern China, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds,despite having weakened from its earlier status as a typhoon. The storm struck the coastal city of Yuhuan in Zhejiang province shortly before midnight on Saturday, followed by another landfall in the densely populated Yueqing area of Wenzhou district.
Authorities had evacuated nearly two million residents in anticipation of storm,which has been described as the most powerful to impact China this year. Eyewitness accounts from Yueqing residents, such as Li Liangxing,reveal the extent of the storm's fury. "We could hear roof tiles and tree branches falling," he recounted, noting that floodwaters had submerged walkways near his home.
As Bavi swept through the region,it caused significant damage,uprooting over 1,300 trees in Yueqing alone,with half of them completely torn from the ground. State broadcaster CCTV reported that floodwaters reached heights comparable to half a car tire,prompting emergency teams to deploy chainsaws and excavators to clear the debris-laden streets.
Early Sunday, the National Meteorological Center recorded wind speeds of 101 kilometers per hour (63 miles per hour) and warned that storm would continue to unleash heavy rainfall across eastern and northern China in the days ahead. The storm's impact has severely disrupted transportation networks, with two major railway stations in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, halting all services . Additionally,327 flights were canceled at Xiaoshan International Airport.
In nearby Shanghai,the situation was similarly dire, with 684 flights and more than 1,600 train services canceled,according to reports from state-backed media outlet The Paper. By Sunday afternoon,Bavi had moved into Anhui province,northwest of Zhejiang,and was projected to shift northeast toward the Yellow Sea by Tuesday.
As the storm continues its path, authorities remain on high alert,monitoring conditions and preparing for potential for further flooding and disruption.
