Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since 1949, made landfall on Monday, bringing the financial hub to a virtual standstill.

All flights out of the city’s two airports after 8 pm on Sunday were cancelled, major attractions such as Disneyland were closed, and several high-speed train routes were temporarily shut down.

The storm, which felled trees and billboards, logged winds around 151 kmph near its centre. Videos on social media showed buildings with siding ripped off and electric poles uprooted.

Shanghai’s meteorological observatory said that some parts of the city had seen almost 3 inches of rainfall in one hour on Monday morning.

Shanghai is rarely directly affected by typhoons, which usually hit farther south. Officials predicted that the storm would weaken by Monday evening and move westward.

But the timing of the storm, during China’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, could disrupt consumer spending that the country desperately needs as its economy slows. On social media, people posted about being stuck in their hotels. Parades scheduled for a tourism festival on Sunday and Monday were cancelled.

The nearby city of Suzhou, in Jiangsu province, said it had suspended all food delivery services. Another city, Nanjing, stopped all large-scale events and outdoor construction and ordered ships not to sail on the Yangtze River.

Even as Bebinca hovered over Shanghai, the city’s meteorological authorities warned that another typhoon appeared to be forming where Bebinca had originated, and could hit Shanghai and surrounding areas later this week.

US pastor freed

A Christian pastor from California has been freed from China after nearly 20 years behind bars and is back home in the US, the state department said on Monday.

David Lin, 68, was detained after he entered China in 2006, later convicted of contract fraud and sentenced to life in prison, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

New York Times News Service and Reuters