Typhoon Bebinca: Shanghai ravaged by most powerful storm in 75 years

CHINA: Typhoon Bebinca hit Shanghai, China, yesterday, resulting in hundreds of thousands of people needing to be evacuated. The typhoon hit the coastal area of Lingang New City in east Shanghai.

The Chinese state media reported that it was the strongest storm to hit the city in 75 years. Some 400,000 people were evacuated on Sunday evening.

The BBC reported that Shanghai’s two main airports also grounded all flights, with hundreds of flights cancelled. Train services and highways were also shut down, and a 40km/h speed limit was imposed for road travel.

Shanghai is home to 25 million people, and the city is currently on red alert with wind speeds up to 151 km during the eye of the storm. Online footage showed large trees thrown to the ground and people trying to drag their bicycles and motorcycles through flooded roads.

According to an AP report, winds uprooted and damaged more than 10,000 trees, resulting in a power outage for more than 380 households.

News of the typhoon was all over social media. One writer posted on Weibo a picture of trees swaying violently in the car park, saying, “This is the kind of thing you’d only see on television.”

Others posted pictures of the typhoon on X saying that it was the strongest to hit the city since 1949.

🇨🇳 | Strongest typhoon to hit #Shanghai since 1949
fierce gust, intense rainstorm, measured 142kph gust#Bebinca #Typhoonbebcina #China pic.twitter.com/yokaTYiN0X

— BeeLady 🇨🇭 📍🌼🐝 (@BeeLady__) September 16, 2024

The meteorological department said that they had been receiving many calls involving incidents of fallen trees and billboards.

Shanghai closed all its resorts, namely Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Amusement Park, and the Shanghai Wild Animal Park. The ferry service was also closed.

The Bebinca typhoon also passed through Japan and the central and southern Philippines, where falling trees resulted in six deaths.

The Chinese state media said the typhoon was expected to move northwest with thunderstorms and high winds in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces.