China evacuated more than 1.8 million people Saturday as Typhoon Bavi barreled toward the major eastern city of Wenzhou after lashing Japan's southern Sakishima island chain with torrential rain and destructive winds while skirting northern Taiwan.
Although Bavi is gradually slowing and weakening as it moves northwest over cooler waters, the storm remains a serious threat because of the immense amount of moisture packed into its rain bands, which stretch roughly the length of France from end to end.
Bavi had maximum sustained winds of 144 kph (90 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, and was about 200 kilometers (124 miles) southeast of Wenling in the eastern province of Zhejiang as of 8:08 a.m. GMT, according to the National Meteorological Center.
Bavi is forecast to make landfall around Wenzhou, home to about 10 million people, early Sunday.
State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang province, where Wenzhou is located, and more than 100,000 in neighboring Fujian province.
"I'm a little worried, but I think it'll be OK. We've been through typhoons before. We'll get through it," said Wenzhou resident Huang Xinghuan, 50, who was buying groceries at a traditional wet market before it closed ahead of the typhoon.
Huang said his family had stocked about two to three days' worth of water.
"I think supplies are well guaranteed now. There's no need to panic or stockpile a lot of food or other supplies," he said.
While Japan and Taiwan have not reported any deaths from the typhoon, 17 people died in the Philippines because of heavy rains brought by an enhanced southwest monsoon, worsened by Bavi's impact.
Taiwan's fire department said 87 people had been injured, mostly in falls from motorcycles or bicycles or after being struck by falling objects.
In Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people, mainly from mountainous areas, as the island shut down ahead of Bavi's approach from the north.
Although Bavi did not make landfall in Taiwan, the government took precautions to prevent loss of life after forecasts called for nearly 1 meter (3 feet) of rain in some areas.
Most of those evacuated were in northern and eastern areas, while 920 international flights were canceled, effectively closing Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside the capital, Taipei, as well as all 282 domestic flights.
Nearly all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a typhoon holiday Saturday, closing offices and schools that otherwise might have been open over the weekend, though some restaurants and convenience stores in Taipei remained open.
The main north-south high-speed rail line continued to operate with reduced service.
In downtown Taipei, some people were still out on the streets in blustery winds and rain.
"It's OK. It's not that serious," said Yeh Mao-hsiung, 68, who was out for a morning walk with his dog. "It's just a little bit more wind."
But in Taipei's Beitou neighborhood, in the foothills surrounding the city, wind gusts of about 100 kph knocked down trees and swelled rivers.
In Wenzhou, Chen Qiuqin, who is in her 60s, walked through steady rain on her way to her parents' home to help them prepare for the typhoon but said she was not overly concerned because of the government's preparations.
"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," she said.
