Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in China's Taizhou after nearly 2 million evacuated; Philippines death toll rises to 18, Taiwan reports 134 injured

Summary

Typhoon Bavi made landfall in the coastal city of Taizhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province at 23:20 local time on July 11, confirmed by Nikkei Asia and Chinese state media. Nearly 2 million people were evacuated across eastern China ahead of the storm. Taizhou's municipal government declared five stoppages (work, school, market, construction, transportation) across four districts as the landfall point shifted northward. Bavi weakened to a severe tropical storm after landfall, with maximum sustained winds around 101 kph. The death toll in the Philippines from the typhoon's earlier passage rose to 18, per Hong Kong Free Press. Taiwan reported 134 injured; its Central Weather Administration issued its first-ever mega-wave warning for waves exceeding 6 metres. Heavy rain struck 29 Thai provinces. Bavi also struck Japan's southern Ryukyu island chain earlier on July 11. Nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled across the region.

The split

China Daily and Global Times emphasised preparation: Zhejiang and Fujian raised geological-disaster alerts before landfall and the government elevated flood emergency response. Al Jazeera led with the Philippine landslide deaths and the 1.7-to-2 million evacuation count as top-line events. Nikkei Asia foregrounds aviation and supply-chain disruption. Hong Kong Free Press confirmed the updated Philippines death toll (18) as a standalone data point not front-paged by Western outlets. The Star Malaysia covers the storm's spread into Thailand, a dimension under-covered by Western reports. Chinese-language sources (Sina Finance, 163.com) tracked the shifting landfall location hours before arrival. Vietnam Net noted the storm had shifted northward, reducing risk to northern Vietnam, a perspective absent from the Western consensus.

By the numbers

• 2 million, people evacuated across Zhejiang, Fujian and surrounding areas ahead of Typhoon Bavi's China landfall.
• 23:20 local time July 11, the time Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
• 101 kph, maximum sustained winds near the storm's centre after weakening post-landfall.
• 18, confirmed deaths in the Philippines from Bavi's earlier passage, per Hong Kong Free Press.
• 134, people injured in Taiwan during the storm's passage.
• ~1,000 flights, cancelled across the region, per Nikkei Asia.
• 29 Thai provinces, affected by heavy rain and waves topping four metres.

Why it matters

Typhoon Bavi has now caused confirmed fatalities and mass evacuations across the Philippines, Taiwan, southern Japan and eastern China in a single multi-day track. The landfall in Taizhou affects one of China's most industrialised coastal provinces. The East China Sea shipping lanes and regional aviation were disrupted across one of the world's most densely populated maritime corridors.

What to watch

• Damage and casualty reports from Taizhou and coastal Zhejiang following landfall.
• Whether the Philippines death toll rises further as remote areas report in.
• Flood risk in Zhejiang and Fujian as the weakened system dumps heavy rain inland.
• Resumption of the nearly 1,000 cancelled regional flights.