Typhoon Muifa makes landfall as millions in China brace for heavy rain and flood

Tens of millions of people across parts of eastern China have been Preparing for floods and floods and towering waves on Wednesday, as the strongest typhoon of the season so far made landfall and headed toward the densely populated city of Shanghai.

The typhoon landed on the coast near the Zhoushan archipelago in the evening after the arrival of the authorities China Eastern Zhejiang Province has ordered ships to return to port, closed schools and evacuated tourists from nearby islands. The hurricane brought strong winds of about 160 kilometers per hour.

The central meteorological observatory said winds will likely last for several hours, as well as heavy accumulation of rain, and the risk of disaster is high.

Widespread precipitation is likely to be 50-200 mm (2 to 8 in), with other localities reaching over 350 mm. Waves up to 5 m (16 ft) are expected near Shanghai, China’s busiest container sea port.

The Central Meteorological Observatory issued its first red alert – the highest hurricane warning level – of the year across swathes of the country’s east coast.

“Every storm is different, but this one is heading to a major population center,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “Many city streets will be flooded due to extensive impermeable roofs and heavy rain. Also, due to wind speed increasing with altitude, urban skyscrapers can suffer some significant wind damage on the upper floors.”

Passing through Hangzhou Bay, it will make landfall again tonight along the coast from Jiaxing in Zhejiang to Pudong, in the greater Shanghai region, said the Central Meteorological Observatory.

“Typhoon Muiva will be the fourth typhoon to make landfall this year and the first in eastern China,” said Mike Sainz, a meteorologist with CNN. “It will make the storm make landfall with winds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic, and it will far exceed the first three hurricanes of the season.”

Studies show that a human-caused climate crisis does not necessarily lead to an increase in the frequency of tornadoes and tornadoes in general, but rather increases the likelihood of powerful and destructive tornadoes.

The typhoon has already disrupted economic activity in eastern China. Shanghai International Shipping Institute said Shanghai suspended some operations at its ports, including Yangshan Terminal and others, as of Tuesday evening and halted all operations on Wednesday morning.

China Southern Airlines said it canceled 25 flights at Shanghai airports on Tuesday and plans to cancel 11 more on Wednesday.

State TV said about 13,000 people had been evacuated from islands and tourist sites near Zhoushan. State media said about 7,400 merchant ships had taken refuge in Zhejiang ports, including Zhoushan, Ningbo and Taizhou, while passenger ship routes through the province were suspended at noon.

The three cities and Shanghai together have a population of 42.26 million.

The Zhejiang government ordered all fishing vessels to return to the pier before noon. Ningbo, Zhoushan and Taizhou ordered schools to be closed on Wednesday.

Flight data platform Variflight told Reuters that all flights at Ningbo and Zhoushan airports were canceled on Wednesday.

Meteorological authorities said the Moifa center is located about 490 km southeast of Xiangshan City, Zhejiang Province. The Central Meteorological Administration added that the typhoon will move to the northwest after hitting the ground and gradually weaken.