Chinese reports said Typhoon Bavi made landfall in east China's Zhejiang Province and is expected to weaken gradually.

The typhoon had previously brought strong winds and heavy rain to the southern islands of Japan and Taiwan. It is the second typhoon to hit China in just over a week, after Typhoon Maysak made landfall in southern China early last week.

Chinese authorities evacuated more than 1.7 million people on Saturday and issued the highest alert, as eastern China prepared for the arrival of Typhoon Bavi, which had maximum sustained winds near its center of 144 kilometers per hour.

Typhoon Bavi is expected to continue moving northwestward inland after making landfall, with its intensity gradually weakening.