Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated as a powerful typhoon made landfall near China’s financial hub, Shanghai.
Typhoon Bebinca hit at about 07:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday in the coastal area of Lingang New City in Shanghai’s east, the China Meteorological Administration said.
It is the strongest storm to hit Shanghai in 75 years, according to Chinese state media.
As a precaution, more than 400,000 people in the Shanghai Metropolitan area were relocated by Sunday evening, according to local officials.
A further 9,000 people were evacuated from the Chongming District, an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River that is also part of Shanghai.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled as the city’s two main airports grounded all flights. Train services were also cancelled and highways closed. A 40km/h (25mph) speed limit was imposed on roads inside the city.
Shanghai’s 25 million residents had been advised to stay home as the storm batters the city.
Authorities have issued a red alert for Bebinca, the highest level, as wind speeds of up to 151km/h (94 mph) were recorded at the typhoon’s eye. It is expected to weaken as it moves inland.
Videos posted online showed large trees toppled and people dragging their bicycles and motorcycles through flooded streets. A clip shared by Shanghai Daily showed a bus braking abruptly along Huaihai Road in a major shopping district as billboards blown by fierce winds collapsed onto the ground.
The storm was one of the most-discussed topics on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday, with some users sharing their fears that it would worsen.
Credit: bbc.com
