Shanghai Paralyzed by Historic Typhoon Bebinca

Shanghai experienced a rare and powerful hit from Typhoon Bebinca on Monday, immobilizing the city with strong winds and heavy rain. Over 400,000 residents were evacuated, transport links disrupted, and businesses closed. The storm, the strongest to hit Shanghai in over 70 years, caused significant damage and disruption.

The bustling financial hub of Shanghai was brought to a standstill on Monday as residents sheltered from Typhoon Bebinca. The Category 1 storm, making landfall in Shanghai on Monday morning, is the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly strike the city in over seven decades.

Packing wind speeds of up to 151 kph (94 mph) near its eye, Bebinca landed in the city around 7:30 a.m., according to state media. It is the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949. The storm lashed the city with rain and felled more than 10,000 trees. Over 400,000 people were evacuated from at-risk homes.

Over 56,000 rescue workers were deployed with only one injury reported early in the afternoon. More than 1,400 flights and over 570 passenger trains were cancelled, disrupting travel plans during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday. Parks, businesses, and major resorts, including Shanghai Disney Resort, were closed, while certain metro services and roads were disrupted.

By early Monday afternoon, the storm's eye had moved from Shanghai to Jiangsu province, but rains were expected to continue in China's financial capital throughout the day. Shanghai rarely experiences direct hits from strong typhoons that typically land further south in China.

(With inputs from agencies.)