China has activated its highest emergency response measures as Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Zhejiang Province, forcing the evacuation of nearly two million people and bringing widespread disruption across eastern China.
Authorities suspended schools, halted public transport, cancelled hundreds of flights and train services, and shut down workplaces in several cities as powerful winds and torrential rain battered the region. More than 1.7 million residents were evacuated from Zhejiang Province alone, with additional evacuations carried out in Shanghai, Fujian and Beijing. Officials warned that although the storm is weakening, it continues to pose a serious flood and landslide threat due to its intense rainfall.
Meanwhile, France is battling wildfires described by emergency officials as being of “exceptional scale” near Paris. Hundreds of firefighters, supported by aerial firefighting aircraft typically deployed in southern France, have been mobilised to contain the rapidly spreading blazes. Authorities say the fires have been fuelled by hot, dry conditions and strong winds, prompting evacuations in vulnerable communities as crews race to prevent the flames from reaching populated areas.
The twin disasters highlight the growing impact of extreme weather events across the globe, with governments in both China and France urging residents to follow evacuation orders and emergency safety advisories as rescue and containment efforts continue.
