China: Flights cancelled, cities evacuated, Mid-Autumn Festival travel disrupted as Typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc

Typhoon Bebinca strikes: Travellers in China face flight cancellations and evacuations

Chinese cities prepared for Typhoon Bebinca’s imminent landing, amid cancelling of flights and evacuation of residents, as millions of holidaymakers began travelling across the country for a national festival.

People walk with umbrellas on a bridge amid rains and winds brought by Typhoon Muifa, in Shanghai, China. China: Flights cancelled, cities evacuated, Mid-Autumn Festival travel disrupted as Typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc (REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo)

Bebinca, which China refers to as Beibijia, is set to hit the Yangtze River Delta region around dawn on Monday, Sept. 16, according to the Shanghai Meteorological Service. The typhoon is expected to bring significant rainfall and high tides when it lands, according to the weather agency.

Shanghai initiated a top-level emergency response at 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, suspending railways, closing ports, bridges and highways. More than 600 flights in and out of Shanghai were canceled on Sunday, according to the local government.

Personnel at Yangshan Deepwater Port, a major port cluster, will be evacuated by 6 p.m. on Sunday, while Shanghai’s Chongming District was relocating 9,318 people to safe places, according to local media reports. Zhoushan warned people to stay indoors as rain and strong winds began lashing the city on Sunday afternoon.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.