Strongest Typhoon Since 1949 Hits Shanghai Amid Festival

The strongest typhoon to strike Shanghai since at least 1949 made landfall early Monday. The event forced evacuations of over 400,000 individuals, and significant disruptions ensued. Flights, ferries, and train services were halted, massively impacting travel during China's three-day Mid-Autumn Festival. Shanghai's airports alone canceled hundreds of flights starting Sunday through Monday, with Hangzhou set to cancel over 180 flights.

Over 60,000 emergency responders and firefighters were mobilized in Shanghai to provide assistance. Authorities stated that Typhoon Bebinca hit Shanghai's Pudong business district at 7:30am with maximum winds of 94mph. The typhoon is also expected to affect Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces.

Shanghai, housing 25 million residents, typically avoids such severe typhoons which usually affect southern China. Earlier in the month, Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc on South China's Hainan island and caused significant devastation across Southeast Asia. Countries like Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam have all suffered substantial human losses due to the typhoon, with Vietnam reporting more than 230 fatalities including many still missing. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)