Typhoon Bebinca: Strongest storm since 1949 makes landfall in China as flights cancelled

Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since 1949, made landfall early today, prompting evacuations and cancellations of flights. Hundreds of flights were cancelled at the Shanghai airport starting from Sunday. In Hangzhou , about 170km (106miles) southwest of Shanghai, authorities were planning to cancel more than 180 flights.

Over 40,000 people were evacuated and trains and ferries were suspended as residents were asked to stay at home amid disruptions. Bebinca made landfall around 7.30am local time this morning (11.



30pm GMT Sunday) in the sprawling Pudong business district with maximum winds of 151kmph (94mph) near its centre. The city, home to 25 million people, rarely faces such intense typhoons. This is the strongest storm to make landfall in the city since 1949.

Authorities expected the typhoon would also affect the nearby provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui. Bebinca comes just a few days after Typhoon Yagi recently hit Southeast Asia and China , causing devastation. Vietnam is still reeling from the impact of the storm with over 230 deaths, while Myanmar , Thailand, and the Philippines have also seen dozens of casualties.

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