More than 260,000 residents evacuated after Typhoon Bavi unleashes heavy floods across mainland China

Bavi ranks as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the region this year and the strongest storm to reach China in 2026.

ByREUTERS

JULY 14, 2026 07:35

The strongest storm to hit mainland China this year drove more than 260,000 people from their homes in northeastern Liaoning province when Typhoon Bavi produced intense flooding.

Heavy rain is forecast to continue through Tuesday, with extreme downpours likely in places, officials said, as Bavi draws large volumes of tropical moisture northward and sustains a flow of humid air into northern China.

In Shenyang, Liaoning's provincial capital, a lighthouse snapped its high-voltage power line and drifted through floodwaters along main roads and under a bridge, according to videos shared on Chinese social media.

All schools and training centers have been told to close, while transport services face major disruptions in northeastern cities including Shenyang and Jilin.

Bavi, spanning an area the size of France, formed in the Pacific Ocean 13 days ago. Its structure stayed largely intact on Monday even after landfall in eastern China on Saturday night, making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year.

260,000 people evacuated, more intense rainfall expected

Its longevity stems largely from an unusually well-preserved warm core, Chinese meteorologists say, allowing Bavi to retain much of its moisture as it moves north toward the Korean peninsula. Intense rainfall is expected when Bavi, now a tropical storm, slows and releases the moisture it has carried.