China evacuates over one million as Typhoon Bavi nears

China evacuated more than 1.8 million people on Saturday ​as Typhoon Bavi churned toward the major eastern city of Wenzhou after pummelling Japan's southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent ‌winds and brushing past northern Taiwan, Reuters reported.

Even as Bavi continues to slow and weaken on its northwesterly path over cooler seas, 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 144 km per hour (90 mph), equivalent to Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, and was about 200 km (124 miles) southeast of Wenling in the eastern province of Zhejiang as of 0808 GMT, according to the National Meteorological Center.

Bavi is forecast to make landfall around Wenzhou, home to some 10 million people, ⁠early on 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 neighbouring 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 out 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 added.

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 87 people had been injured, mostly falls from motorcycles or bicycles, as well as people falling over or being struck by objects.