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Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai on Monday morning as a Category 1 storm, the strongest tropical cyclone to directly hit China’s financial hub in more than seven decades.
Typhoon Bebinca, packing maximum winds of 151 km/h near its centre, made landfall in the city of about 25 million people at around 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT), state media reported, the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949.
Shanghai is rarely hit directly by the powerful typhoons that typically make landfall in southern China. Typhoon Yagi, a devastating Category 4 storm, hit the southern province of Hainan last week.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled at the city’s two airports since Sunday, and Shanghai Railway Station has suspended some rail services. The disruptions come as China celebrates the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.
Resorts in Shanghai have been temporarily closed, including Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Theme Park and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, and several ferries have been halted.
