Typhoon Bavi forces evacuation of over 260,000 in China, bringing severe floods to the Northeast

Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to strike mainland China in 2026, has triggered severe flooding and massive logistical disruptions. The France-sized storm made landfall in Zhejiang province before moving inland, forcing the evacuation of over 2.2 million people in Zhejiang and 260,000 in Liaoning province. Widespread infrastructure damage includes submerged roads in Hebei and a drifting lighthouse in Shenyang, while airlines canceled over 1,200 flights. Experts warn that emerging El Niño patterns could exacerbate future extreme weather risks.

Typhoon Bavi landfall trajectory

• ▪Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Yuhuan, Zhejiang Province, at approximately 11:20 p.m. local time on July 11, 2026, before making a second landfall in Yueqing, Wenzhou, around midnight
• ▪Typhoon Bavi moved northwestward across eastern China into Anhui province on July 12, 2026, and was forecast to enter the northern Yellow Sea on July 14, 2026

Mass evacuations across provinces

• ▪Typhoon Bavi forced the evacuation of more than 260,000 people from their homes in northeastern Liaoning province
• ▪Fujian province evacuated more than 180,000 people ahead of Typhoon Bavi
• ▪More than 2.2 million people were evacuated in Zhejiang province, including over 290,000 people from at-risk areas in Shanghai

Transport cancellations disruptions

• ▪All schools, training institutions, and transport services were largely suspended in northeastern Chinese cities, including Shenyang and Jilin
• ▪Airlines canceled more than 1,200 flights scheduled for July 12, 2026, across eastern China, including 327 flights at Hangzhou's Xiaoshan airport and 684 flights in Shanghai

Flooding infrastructure destruction

• ▪Floodwaters submerged roads and swept away cars in Hebei and Liaoning provinces, with water levels rising to over 2 meters on roads in Kuancheng county
• ▪In Yueqing, Typhoon Bavi toppled more than 1,300 trees, uprooting at least 700 of them
• ▪In Shenyang, Liaoning's provincial capital, a drifting lighthouse severed its high-voltage power line and floated through floodwaters along main roads

Storm meteorological characteristics

• ▪Typhoon Bavi was the most powerful storm to strike mainland China in 2026 and the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year
• ▪Typhoon Bavi spanned an area roughly the size of France and maintained its structure due to an unusually well-preserved warm core

Future extreme weather risks

• ▪Rapid intensification of typhoons reduces preparation time for communities and emergency managers, making extreme weather events increasingly challenging
• ▪The expected emergence of the El Niño weather pattern could drive up temperatures and shift future typhoon tracks toward China's coast, increasing extreme weather risks