Shanghai Faces Its Most Intense Storm Since 1949 as Typhoon Bebinca Strikes with 94 MPH Winds

Typhoon Bebinca has struck Shanghai, marking the strongest storm to hit the city since 1949. The storm made landfall at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday in Lingang New City, located in eastern Shanghai, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The typhoon brought with it powerful winds reaching speeds of up to 151 kilometers per hour (94 miles per hour) near its center, making it the most intense storm the city has faced in over seven decades.

In response to the severe weather, local authorities implemented extensive safety measures. Flights and train services were canceled, and highways were shut down to prevent accidents and manage the impact of the storm. Residents of Shanghai, a city with a population of 25 million, were advised to remain indoors. A speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour) was enforced on city roads to ensure safety amid the storm’s effects.

The city also issued a red alert in anticipation of the storm’s impact. Approximately 9,000 people from the Chongming District, situated on an island at the Yangtze River’s mouth, were evacuated to safer locations. Authorities took further precautions by ordering all maritime vessels to return to port to avoid the dangerous sea conditions generated by the typhoon.

Reports from neighboring Zhejiang province captured the storm’s intensity, with waves battering the rugged coastline under dark, heavy skies. A CCTV broadcast featured a reporter struggling to speak amid the harsh conditions, describing the relentless waves that surged higher with each passing moment.

Typhoon Bebinca’s impact is particularly notable because it is uncommon for Shanghai to experience such direct hits from powerful typhoons. Typically, these storms land further south in China. Just the previous week, Typhoon Yagi, a Category 4 storm, had caused significant damage in southern Hainan province and Vietnam, illustrating the widespread and intense nature of recent typhoon activity in the region.