Monday, 23 December 2024
Monday, 23 December 2024
Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai on Monday morning as a Category 1 storm, the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly hit the Chinese financial hub in more than seven decades.
The normally-bustling financial hub of Shanghai was brought to a standstill as residents sheltered at home to wait out the worst of Typhoon Bebinca.
Packing top wind speeds of 151 kph (94 mph) near its eye, Bebinca landed in the city of nearly 25 million around 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT), state media reported, the strongest storm to strike Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949.
Typhoon Bebinca — known as Beibijia in China — crossed the coast in the Yangtze River Delta region at around 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday, according to reports from state media.
The city has already mobilised thousands of relief and rescue workers to attend to emergencies.
The storm is expected to dump rain across the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces as it moves inland and weakens.
Bebinca has already led to flight cancellations over Shanghai and the suspension of passenger ferry operations in the city. Shanghai Railway Station has announced plans to suspend passenger trains on several routes passing through the city from Sunday to Monday.
All flights from Pudong and Hongqiao airports were cancelled from 8 pm on Sunday.
Ferries have stopped running, while bus services have been suspended in the waterfront district of Fengxian.
The operator of Shanghai's airports stated that temporary rest areas have been prepared for passengers, and in-house catering vendors and convenience stores have been instructed to offer continuous service.
Bebinca is the second storm to hit China in a matter of weeks, after Super Typhoon Yagi struck Hainan island in the nation’s south, killing people and causing widespread damage.
