Xinhua News Agency reported that China's Ministry of Water Resources on September 14 issued a level 4 emergency response (the lightest level on a 4-level scale) for flooding in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.
Heavy rains from Typhoon Bebinca will hit southeastern parts of China, with water levels of some medium and small rivers in the region expected to exceed warning levels, the Ministry of Water Resources said.
The Ministry of Water Resources emphasized flood prevention in small and medium-sized rivers as well as flash floods in mountains in affected areas to ensure the safety of people's lives and properties.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, from the night of September 15 to the morning of September 16, Typhoon Bebinca is expected to make landfall along the coast from Taizhou in Zhejiang to Qidong in Jiangsu, bringing heavy rain.
According to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), at 2:00 p.m. on September 14, typhoon Bebinca was located about 840km southeast of Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province.
Typhoon Bebinca is moving northwest at about 30km/h, gradually increasing in intensity, with the potential to make landfall from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province to Shanghai, China, with a landfall intensity at typhoon or strong typhoon level.
Storms with an intensity of hurricane or above or super typhoon level will cause serious impacts.
Typhoon Yagi, the 11th typhoon to hit China this year, has caused serious impacts. Yagi formed in the northwest Pacific Ocean on September 1 and weakened to a tropical depression on September 8.
From September 2, Yagi made landfall on Luzon Island in the Philippines, Wenchang City in Hainan Province, Xuwen County in Guangdong Province of China, and Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces in Vietnam.
Typhoon No. 3 Yagi made landfall on the east coast of Luzon Island in the Philippines with winds of 72km/h; made landfall on the coast of Wenchang City, Hainan Province as a super typhoon with winds of 223km/h; made landfall on Jiaowei Township, Xuwen County, Guangdong Province with winds of 208km/h, then entered the Gulf of Tonkin.
Storm No. 3 made landfall on the southern coast of Quang Ninh province, Vietnam at around 3:30 p.m. on September 7 with winds of 208 km/h, level 17, then gradually weakened.
Based on meteorological data from 1949 to 2023, typhoons making landfall in China during the Mid-Autumn Festival are not uncommon, with the proportion of strong tropical storms and typhoons totaling nearly 80%.
Typhoon Bebinca will make landfall further north than previous autumn storms that have hit China.
Shanghai will face strong winds and heavy rain during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which starts from September 15 to 17. Total rainfall is expected to be 60-90mm, with some areas seeing as much as 120-180mm.
Due to the impact of the storm, all passenger train services in Shanghai were suspended from noon on September 15. Several airlines have canceled some flights to and from Shanghai.
The city's power supplier, Shanghai State Grid Company, is scrambling to prepare for supply and maintenance work.
