Shanghai hit by strongest typhoon in 75 years

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.

—BBC

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