Typhoon Bavi has forced more than 260,000 people to evacuate across China’s northeastern Liaoning province after becoming the most powerful storm to strike mainland China this year, triggering widespread flooding and major transport disruption.
Authorities warned that heavy rain would continue through Tuesday, with some areas expected to receive extreme downpours as the storm draws huge volumes of tropical moisture northwards.
Although Bavi weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall in eastern China on Saturday night, meteorologists said it continues to pose a serious threat because of the enormous amount of moisture it has retained.
In Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, dramatic videos shared on Chinese social media showed a lighthouse breaking free after its high-voltage power line snapped, drifting through flooded streets before passing beneath a bridge.
Officials ordered all schools and training institutions to suspend classes, while public transport services were severely disrupted across several northeastern cities, including Shenyang and Jilin.
Meteorologists said Bavi formed over the Pacific Ocean 13 days ago and now spans an area roughly the size of France. Despite travelling hundreds of kilometres inland, the storm has maintained much of its structure, making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year.
Experts attribute its unusual longevity to a well-preserved warm core, which has allowed the system to retain large amounts of moisture while moving north towards the Korean Peninsula.
Forecasters warned that as Bavi continues to slow, it is expected to release the vast amounts of moisture it has been carrying, raising the risk of prolonged heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides across northern China over the coming days.
(with inputs from Reuters)
