By TAIPEI, Taiwan — The strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since at least 1949 knocked out power to some homes and injured at least one person as it swept over the financial hub Monday.
More than 414,000 people had been evacuated by Monday ahead of the powerful winds and torrential rain. Schools were closed and people were urged to stay indoors. More than 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters were at hand to provide aid in Shanghai, according to state media.
Flight, ferry, and train services were suspended in Shanghai and in neighboring provinces, disrupting travel plans during China’s three-day Mid-Autumn Festival. Shanghai’s airports canceled more than 1,400 flights starting Sunday and through Monday, while in Hangzhou, about 170 kilometers (106 miles) southwest of Shanghai, authorities also canceled more than 180 flights.
Typhoon Bebinca made landfall at around 7:30 a.m. in the sprawling Pudong business district with winds of 151 kph (94 mph) near its center. The storm weakened as it moved inland, bringing heavy rainfall to parts of Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang provinces.
Policemen closed a road as fallen trees along a street in the aftermath of Typhoon Bebinca in Shanghai, China, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (Chinatopix Via AP)
At least 53 hectares (132 acres) of farmland were flooded.
Weather authorities expected Shanghai and parts of neighboring provinces to receive up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) of rainfall between Monday and Wednesday.
Shanghai, which has 25 million people, is rarely hit by strong typhoons, which usually make landfall further south in China.
Typhoon Yagi hit China’s southern Hainan Island earlier this month and has caused widespread devastation across Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, Yagi caused at least 74 deaths with dozens missing. Four deaths were reported in Hainan, at least 10 have died in Thailand and 20 in the Philippines.
Vietnam has reported more than 230 people killed in the typhoon and subsequent flooding and landslides, with dozens more still missing.
