A significant evacuation effort unfolded as a formidable typhoon struck near Shanghai, China’s financial center, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents.
Typhoon Bebinca made landfall at approximately 07:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday, striking the Lingang New City coastal region in eastern Shanghai, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Chinese state media reports that the storm impacting Shanghai is the most powerful to strike the city in 75 years.
Local officials reported that over 400,000 residents in the Shanghai Metropolitan area had been relocated by Sunday evening as a precautionary measure.
In a significant development, authorities have evacuated 9,000 residents from the Chongming District, an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River and part of Shanghai.
In a significant disruption to air travel, hundreds of flights were canceled as both of the city’s primary airports suspended all operations. Train services faced cancellations, and highways were shut down. The city has implemented a speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour) on its roads.
Shanghai’s 25 million residents have been urged to remain indoors as the storm impacts the city.
Officials have declared a red alert for Bebinca, the most severe warning level, following the recording of wind speeds reaching 151 km/h (94 mph) at the typhoon’s center. The system is anticipated to diminish in strength as it progresses further inland.
Footage shared on the internet captured the scene of massive trees uprooted while individuals struggled to maneuver their bicycles and motorcycles through inundated roadways. A video released by Shanghai Daily captured the moment a bus suddenly stopped on Huaihai Road, a bustling shopping area, as strong winds caused billboards to topple and crash to the pavement.
On Monday, the storm became a focal point of discussion on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, as numerous users expressed concerns about its potential intensification.
“This is the kind of scene that seems straight out of a television drama,” commented a Weibo user, sharing a video that captured trees thrashing wildly in a car park.
A fellow user urged the community to ensure that their doors and windows are securely locked and to avoid leaving their homes without necessity.
Direct hits from powerful typhoons are uncommon in Shanghai, as these storms typically make landfall further south in China.
The city’s flood control headquarters reported receiving numerous accounts of incidents linked to the typhoon, primarily involving fallen trees and billboards.
Several resorts in Shanghai, such as Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Amusement Park, and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, have announced temporary closures, and numerous ferry services have been suspended.
This month, Typhoon Yagi has claimed the lives of at least four individuals and left 95 others injured as it swept through China’s southern Hainan island, as reported by national weather authorities.
The impact of Yagi was devastating, leading to significant flooding across Southeast Asia and resulting in the tragic loss of hundreds of lives in Vietnam and Myanmar.
Typhoon Bebinca made its way through Japan and the central and southern regions of the Philippines, resulting in the tragic deaths of six individuals due to falling trees.
According to reports from Chinese state media, Bebinca is projected to shift northwest, bringing the potential for significant rainfall and strong winds across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces.