Shanghai, a major financial city in China, was hit by a strong typhoon named Bebinca. Hundreds of people had to leave their homes for safety as the storm hit the coastal area of Lingang New City in eastern Shanghai, according to the China Meteorological Administration. According to Chinese state media, Babinka is the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai in 75 years.
Typhoon Bebinca hit the coastal area of Lingang New City in eastern Shanghai at around 07:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday, according to the China Meteorological Administration. Reports by the Chinese State media says that over 400,000 residents in the Shanghai area were moved to safety by Sunday evening. Additionally, 9,000 people were evacuated from Chongming District, an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, which is also part of Shanghai.
The storm caused big concerns for transportation. Hundreds of flights were canceled, train services were paused, highways were closed, and a speed limit of 40 km/h (25 mph) was set for city roads. Authorities issued a red alert for Typhoon Bebinca, which is the highest warning level, as wind speeds at the center of the storm reached 151 km/h (94 mph). Although the storm was expected to weaken as it moved inland, the 25 million residents of Shanghai were notified to stay indoors while the typhoon hit the city.
Typhoon Bebinca was a hot topic on Chinese social media and spread quickly. Many users shared their worries about the storm and posted videos, telling others to lock their doors and windows. People also shared videos online of large trees downed by the storm and people struggling to push their bicycles and motorbikes through flooded roads.
Shanghai doesn’t often get hit directly by strong typhoons, as they usually land further south in China, making the storm especially unusual. Shanghai’s flood control headquarters reported several problems caused by the typhoon. Popular places like Shanghai Disney Resort and Jinjiang Amusement Park were temporarily closed, and many ferry services were stopped.
Reports say that Typhoon Bebinca has already caused a lot of damage in Japan and the Philippines. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces as it moves northwest.
