China's Zhejiang raises typhoon response to Level I as Bavi nears

East China's Zhejiang Province upgraded its emergency response to Typhoon Bavi from Level II to Level I at 11 a.m. on Saturday as the powerful storm is expected to make landfall along the province's coast later in the day.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, Typhoon Bavi, the ninth typhoon of the year, was located about 489 kilometers off the coast of Wenzhou. The storm, classified as a strong typhoon, packed maximum sustained winds of up to Force 14 near its center.

According to China's National Meteorological Center, Bavi is moving northwest at a speed of 30 to 35 kilometers per hour and is expected to make landfall between Cangnan and Sanmen in Zhejiang before midnight on Saturday. After landfall, it is forecast to continue moving northwest before turning northward.

The typhoon is expected to bring severe gales, torrential rainfall, high waves and storm surges to Zhejiang from Saturday to Sunday.

Based on the province's emergency contingency plan for flood, typhoon and drought control, as well as the response plan for Typhoon Bavi, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters decided to elevate the emergency response to the highest Level I following a joint assessment.

Local governments and relevant departments continue to closely monitor the typhoon's development and fully implement preventive measures. If necessary, local authorities may declare an emergency flood-control period and adopt stricter measures, including suspending outdoor public gatherings, halting work, classes, business operations and public transportation, and closing roads to ensure public safety.

Earlier, Zhejiang had activated a Level II emergency response and ordered fishing vessels to return to port while evacuating residents from high-risk coastal areas as the province prepared for the arrival of Typhoon Bavi.