More than 260,000 evacuated as Typhoon Bavi brings severe floods

HONG KONG, July 14 (Reuters) – The strongest storm to hit mainland China this year forced more than 260,000 people to evacuate their homes in northeastern Liaoning province as Typhoon Bavi created intense flooding.

Heavy rains are expected to continue until Tuesday, with heavy downpours expected in some areas, as Bavi draws a large amount of tropical moisture northward and creates a continuous flow of moist air into northern China, officials said.

A lighthouse in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, cut a high-voltage power line and began to drift through floodwaters along major roads and under a bridge, according to videos posted on Chinese social media.

All schools and educational institutions were ordered to suspend classes, while transportation services were largely disrupted in northeastern cities including Shenyang and Jilin.

Covering an area the size of France, Bavi formed in the Pacific Ocean 13 days ago. Its structure remained largely intact on Monday even after making landfall in eastern China on Saturday night, making it the longest-lived tropical cyclone in the Asia-Pacific region this year.

Chinese meteorologists say its longevity is largely due to its unusually well-preserved hot core; This allows Bavi to retain most of the moisture as it moves north towards the Korean peninsula. Heavy rainfall is expected as Bavi, currently classified as a tropical storm, slows down further and begins to release all the moisture it has been holding.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Stephen Coates)