Typhoon Bawei to make landfall on Zhejiang-Fujian coast July 11-12

Typhoon Bawei, which weakened from super-typhoon to strong-typhoon strength on July 10, is moving northwest at 15-20 kilometers per hour toward the Zhejiang-Fujian coast. The China Meteorological Administration forecasts landfall between July 11 evening and July 12 early morning near Fuqing, Fujian to Wenling, Zhejiang, at strong-typhoon or typhoon strength with winds of 40-48 meters per second (13-15 on the Beaufort scale).

The typhoon's 7-level wind radius spans 450-500 kilometers, the largest for any storm issuing warnings in Taiwan in the past 30 years. Despite weakening, Bawei maintained super-typhoon status for over 135 hours. Its massive cloud system, approximately 1,000 kilometers in diameter, is expected to bring destructive winds, extreme rainfall, storm surge, and giant waves to Taiwan and eastern China. Northern Taiwan, northeastern coastal areas, and islands including Lanyu and Lyudao may experience gusts exceeding 50 meters per second (12+ Beaufort scale).

Emergency responses across the region are at maximum levels. Taiwan has issued typhoon warnings as of July 10 early morning, with 10 counties and cities declaring full-day closures of schools and workplaces. In Zhejiang Province, multiple prefecture-level cities including Wenzhou and Taizhou have activated Level II emergency responses and implemented "five stops" measures: halting outdoor gatherings, construction work, production, transportation, and business operations. Authorities report evacuating thousands of people from coastal areas, with Wenling having transferred over 2,000 residents by July 10 afternoon.

China's central and eastern provinces face rain extending inland from the typhoon's outer circulation. Taiwan's northern and central regions may receive 250-700 millimeters of rain, while Zhejiang, Fujian, and adjacent areas expect heavy to extreme rainfall. Secondary hazards including landslides, mudslides, and flash floods threaten mountainous regions. Shanghai is on blue alert with forecasted gusts of 8-9 knots on July 11-13, with extreme scenarios potentially bringing 12-14 knot winds. Multiple railway lines have suspended service; Beijing's suburban S-series trains and regional rail lines including Chengsui, Huaidmi, and Jiujiang routes are operating under suspension protocols.

Governments at all levels emphasize bottom-line defense objectives: preventing dam failures, preventing urban-scale flooding, and preventing mass casualties. Zhejiang Province's leadership has ordered layer-by-layer personnel deployment to affected areas, mandatory evacuation of at-risk populations, control of water resources across interconnected networks, and 24-hour duty shifts through storm passage.