Shocking footage shows vehicles hurled through the air as a freak tornado tears across a Chinese highway. Watch the chaos unfold as Typhoon Bavi leaves a trail of destruction across eastern provinces.
A terrifying dashcam video has emerged showing the exact moment a powerful tornado swept across a busy highway in eastern China, hurling vehicles through the air like toys and sending drivers scrambling for safety.
The dramatic footage captures a vehicle being lifted and flung to the side as it makes contact with the swirling vortex. A second car is seen briefly rising off the tarmac before crashing back down with a jolt. The twister then continues its destructive rampage, ripping trees from the ground as stunned motorists hit their brakes in panic.
Chaos Erupts as Typhoon Bavi Batters Coast
The wild scenes unfolded on Sunday as Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Zhejiang province, bringing days of violent winds and torrential downpours across vast swathes of the country. The storm has left a staggering trail of damage in its wake.
State media reported that more than 2.2 million residents were evacuated from Zhejiang alone. In Shanghai, over 290,000 people were moved from high-risk areas, while Fujian province relocated more than 180,000 residents to safety.
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In the coastal city of Yueqing, the typhoon toppled upwards of 1,300 trees, blocking roads and damaging properties. Air travel ground to a halt as more than 600 flights were cancelled at Shanghai’s two major airports – Pudong International and Hongqiao International.
Typhoon Bavi also swept past Taiwan on Saturday, though it did not make direct landfall. Authorities confirmed at least 134 people were injured across the island amid the apocalyptic conditions. The government quickly mobilised nearly 29,000 troops to assist with rescue operations, with many injuries reported from motorbike accidents caused by slippery roads and fierce gusts.
Earlier Storm Wreaked Havoc in Hubei
The latest devastation follows hot on the heels of Typhoon Maysak, which battered parts of China and Vietnam earlier this month. Residents in Ezhou, Hubei province, were forced to flee for their lives when extreme winds reaching 160mph tore through the area.
Weather expert Wang Xiaoling noted that tornadoes are exceptionally rare in Hubei, with the last recorded twister striking the region back in 2021.
Elsewhere, flooding claimed at least four lives in the southern city of Nanning, where rivers and reservoirs overflowed their banks. Typhoon Maysak had previously made landfall in Hainan, China’s southern island province, before hitting Vietnam on Sunday and tracking towards Guangxi.
In the Vietnamese border town of Mong Cai, state media reported that the storm ripped roofs off buildings and felled trees across the area, compounding the widespread destruction.