Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China, with nearly 2 million evacuated as Philippines death toll rises to 17

Summary

Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, eastern China, at 23:20 local time on July 11, with 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 144 km/h, per Watchers.news. Nearly 2 million people were evacuated ahead of landfall. The storm previously struck parts of Japan and brushed Taiwan before turning toward the Chinese coast. In the Philippines, the storm's amplification of the southwest monsoon triggered landslides in Sarangani province and Mindanao, with the death toll rising to 17 by July 11, the municipality of Malapatan recording the highest count at 10 deaths. China raised its orange typhoon alert and convened its national flood-control headquarters ahead of landfall; more than 500 flights were cancelled across China, Taiwan and the Philippines.

The split

China Daily and Global Times emphasised that Bavi had weakened from peak intensity but warned that severe flooding across Fujian and Zhejiang remained the primary risk. Focus Taiwan led with the 900 mm rain and 6-metre wave warnings for Taiwan, framing the storm as the largest to approach the island since 1987. Al Jazeera focused on the Philippines landslide deaths, noting the storm was amplifying the existing monsoon rather than making direct landfall in the archipelago. Vietnam Net reported the storm had shifted northward, reducing risk to northern Vietnam.

By the numbers

• 17, people killed in Philippine monsoon-amplified landslides, up from the initial 15 count.
• 144 km/h, 10-minute maximum sustained winds at landfall in Taizhou, Zhejiang.
• 2 million, people evacuated in China ahead of Bavi's landfall.
• 500+, flights cancelled across China, Taiwan and the Philippines.
• 900 mm, rainfall forecast for northern Taiwan mountain areas.

Why it matters

Bavi arrives after China already recorded 50 storm deaths earlier in the week. A landfall in Fujian or Zhejiang, two of China's most densely industrialised coastal provinces, could disrupt manufacturing supply chains. The Philippines deaths add to what is already a deadly typhoon season in Southeast Asia, and pressure Mindanao regional authorities who face ongoing infrastructure gaps in disaster response.

What to watch

• Extent of flooding, infrastructure damage and industrial disruption across Zhejiang and Fujian provinces following landfall.
• Final Philippines death toll as rescue teams reach landslide-affected areas in Sarangani and Mindanao.
• Whether Bavi produces significant rainfall damage in Shanghai or further inland after making landfall.