Typhoon Bavi: Millions evacuated in China as severe flooding traps villagers and sweeps cars away

Communities have been left stranded, vehicles swept away and roads under two metres of water as severe flooding hit parts of China.

The extreme conditions came after Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to strike mainland China this year, brought heavy rain and strong winds to eastern regions.

Officials warned the storm would bring torrential rain to many areas already saturated by earlier downpours - while in Zhejiang province, more than two million people were evacuated before conditions worsened, reported state media.

Around 1,800 villagers in Kuancheng, in Hebei province, were left stranded by the storm, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Water levels were reported to have risen to more than two metres on roads in the area.

Several cars were seen crashing into each other as they were carried along roads by the strength of the current.

People tackled the conditions by swimming and paddle boarding along flooded roads, according to reports.

In the coastal city of Yueqing, in Zhejiang, more than 1,300 trees were toppled, including at least 700 uprooted, according to CCTV.

Forty-six rivers nationwide are experiencing flooding above warning levels, CCTV reported, citing China's Ministry of Water Resources.

Hundreds of flights and train services were cancelled, while schools were closed across many areas.

Typhoon Bavi covered an area the size of France and formed in the Pacific Ocean 13 days ago.

Despite making landfall in eastern China late on Saturday, it continued to retain its structure and much of its moisture - making it the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year.

Strong winds and heavy rain will continue sweeping across many eastern and northeastern Chinese cities on Monday, forecasters said.

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Bavi has weakened to a tropical storm and is later expected to head towards the Korean peninsula, according to meteorologists.

It is expected to slow further and start to release the moisture it has been holding, bringing more intense rainfall.

(c) Sky News 2026: Typhoon Bavi: Millions evacuated in China as severe flooding traps villagers and sweeps cars