Typhoon Bavi makes landfall in eastern China's Taizhou after nearly 2 million evacuated

Typhoon Bavi made landfall late in the coastal city of Taizhou in eastern China, where nearly 2 million people ‌were evacuated, having earlier pummelled Japan's southern Sakishima island chain and brushed past northern Taiwan.
Even as Bavi continues to slow and weaken on its northwesterly path, the typhoon is still a potent risk due to the sheer volume of moisture it holds within its rain bands, about the size of France from end to end.
Bavi had maximum sustained winds of about 144 ​km per hour (90 mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, when it made landfall at around 11:20 p.m. local time (1520 ​GMT), according to the National Meteorological Center.
State media said more than 1.7 million people had been evacuated across Zhejiang province, ⁠where Taizhou is located, along with more than 100,000 each from neighbouring Fujian province and Beijing, and some 34,000 from Shanghai.
While Japan and Taiwan have not so far reported any deaths from the typhoon, 17 people died in the Philippines ​due to heavy rains brought by an enhanced southwest monsoon, worsened by Bavi's impact.
Taiwan's fire department said 113 people had been injured, mostly from falls from ​motorcycles or bicycles, as well as people falling over or being struck by objects.
In Taiwan, the government evacuated more than 14,000 people from mainly mountainous areas ‌as the ⁠island shut down for the approach of Bavi to the north.
While Bavi did not make landfall in Taiwan, the government took precautions to prevent loss of life, given forecasts for almost 1 metre (3 feet) of rain in some areas.
Most of those evacuated were in areas in the north and east, with 920 international flights cancelled, effectively closing Taiwan's main international airport at Taoyuan, outside the capital Taipei, as well as all 282 domestic flights.
Almost all cities and counties across Taiwan declared a ​typhoon holiday for Saturday, closing any offices ​and schools that may have been ⁠open on the weekend, though in Taipei some restaurants and convenience stores remained open.
The main north-south high-speed rail line also continued to operate, but with reduced service.
In downtown Taipei some people were still out on the street in blustery wind and ​rain.
But in Taipei's Beitou neighbourhood in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the city, gusts of around 100 kph knocked down trees and swelled rivers.