Typhoon Bebinca, now considered the strongest typhoon in 75 years to hit Shanghai, made landfall on Monday (16 September), prompting evacuations and grounding flights.
Known locally as Beibijia, Typhoon Bebinca traversed the Yangtze River Delta region’s coast at around 7:30 a.m. local time today, according to the China Meteorological Administration. It has surpassed Typhoon Gloria from 1949 as the strongest typhoon to hit the area, with wind speeds of 151 kph (94 mph) near the eye.
By noon on Monday, local time, Bebinca’s centre was located in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, while its eastern side continued to batter Shanghai, bringing wind and rain as it weakened. According to forecasts, most parts of China’s financial hub will see rain and wind cease in the evening.
Apart from Shanghai and Jiangsu, the storm is also expected to affect the provinces of Zhejiang and Anhui.
The threat posed by Bebinca has prompted preemptive evacuations across the region. By midnight on Monday, over 414,000 people had been evacuated to exhibition centres and school gymnasiums acting as makeshift shelters, according to CCTV, as reported by CNN.
The mega-city, which houses over 25 million people, came to a standstill as public transportation, including trains and buses, was halted. Bridges, highways, and ports were also closed, while flights to and from the city were cancelled.
Bebinca is the second typhoon to hit China this month, following Yagi, which also devastated other parts of Asia, including Vietnam and Myanmar.
On 6th September, Yagi struck China’s Hainan province, causing over CNY78.6bn (US$11bn) in economic losses. It affected 526,100 people across 19 cities and counties, resulting in 4 casualties and 95 injuries.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Yagi caused millions of USD in agricultural damage, leaving 15 people dead and 21 people missing. Vietnam also experienced devastation, particularly in the northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, among others.
