Typhoon Muifa intensified this morning as it barreled towards Shanghai, prompting authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang to order the ports in Shanghai, Ningbo, and Zhoushan to close.
Typhoon Muifa is of one of this year’s strongest typhoons and is expected to make landfall this evening in the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai. The Hong Kong Observatory classified the storm as a severe typhoon, and is expected to pack winds topping 96 mph. Waves of up to 16 feet are expected near Shanghai, Ningbo and Zhoushan, and will bring torrential rains as it seeps through eastern and southern coastal areas. The latest tracking data would take it thought the Jiangsu and Shandon provinces after making a direct hit on Shanghai.
All flights at Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao airports have been cancelled, and authorities were evacuating people from risky areas. All flights from Ningbo, Hangzhou, and Zhoushan have also been cancelled.
Roughly 7,400 containerships and commercial vessels were ordered to return to Zhejiang’s ports.
All trains operating in the Zhejiang have also been closed.
Authorities have issued a red warning for flash floods along the Yangtze River Delta, the highest warning level of China’s four-tier typhoon warning system. The country’s national weather forecaster also warned there was a high risk of flooding of small and medium-sized rivers in western parts of Zhejiang.
