Strongest storm in seven decades pounds Shanghai

SHANGHAI: The normally bustling financial hub of Shanghai was brought to a standstill on Monday as residents sheltered at home to wait out the worst of the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly hit the city since 1949.

Typhoon Bebinca, which made landfall in the Chinese megacity on Monday morning, packed top wind speeds of 151 kilometres per hour near its eye. Rain lashed the city of 25 million and strong winds felled more than 10,000 trees as over 414,000 people were evacuated in Bebinca’s path.

More than 56,000 rescue workers were deployed and, by early afternoon only one injury had been reported as a result of the storm.

More than 1,400 flights from Shanghai’s two airports and over 570 passenger trains were cancelled, disrupting the travel plans of many on the move over the mid-autumn festival.

However, all flights from Shanghai’s airports which were grounded earlier started up again slowly as the storm moved on through the afternoon.

Parks and businesses were closed as four districts in Shanghai upgraded weather alerts to the highest possible level, some metro train services were disrupted and highways and elevated roads were also closed to traffic or had special speed restrictions in place.

Resorts in Shanghai, including Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Amusement Park and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, were temporarily closed and many ferries halted.

By early Monday afternoon, the eye of the storm had crossed from Shanghai to the neighbouring Jiangsu province, though rains were expected to continue in China’s financial capital on Tuesday.

Workers in orange jumpsuits cleared a big pile of corrugated iron and other metal that appeared to have fallen from a nearby building onto a major road in the city centre.

Shanghai resident Tracy Huang, who had ventured outside to buy supplies, watched them as the rain continued to pour. “I didn’t plan to go out today but there was a power outage in our house,” she said.

“I don’t know (when the electricity will come back on) but it might be tonight… the community staff said it was being repaired,” she said.

Highways were opened after being closed. Some ferries, metro services and trains also resumed service.

State broadcaster CCTV said Bebinca was expected to move northwest, causing heavy rain and high winds in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024