China has been witnessing extreme weather conditions lately. Days after deadly floods devastated the central parts of the country, Typhoon In-Fa struck eastern China on Sunday with strong winds and heavy rains.
In-Fa May Produce Catastrophic Impact along China's East Coast
In-Fa landed in the Putuo district of the city of Zhoushan, a major port in the eastern province of Zhejiang, at 12:30pm (04:30 GMT) on Sunday, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing the China Meteorological Administration.
Typhoon In-Fa could bring more torrential downpours to the stricken region in the coming days, and officials fear it could hamper rescue and recovery efforts. The typhoon reportedly has wind speeds of up to 137 km/h (85mph) according to Reuters news agency.
Cancellation of Flights, Suspension of Subway Trains and Halting of Businesses
The typhoon churned towards the mainland after the heavy rain brought down trees and damaged houses in neighbouring Taiwan. However, no deaths or injuries were reported. As Typhoon In-fa made landfall on Sunday, sea, air and rail traffic were cut off across the east coast of China. The effects of the typhoon were felt on Sunday morning in Shanghai, China's largest city.
Hundreds of flights at Shanghai Pudong and Shanghai Hongqiao airports were cancelled and more cancellations are expected on Monday, state TV reported on its website.
The Shanghai government closed parks and the riverfront Bund district, a popular tourist area, and said it would slow its subway trains. Authorities in Hangzhou also warned residents that underground trains would be suspended. Disruptive winds, rough seas and flooding are expected. Meanwhile, dozens of ships have been evacuated from a busy port south of Shanghai.
What do the Chinese Meteorological Officials Say?
From Sunday, the typhoon will bring "long periods of extremely heavy rainfall", China's National Meteorological Center said, reported BBC. It added that coastal areas "should guard against the combined impact of wind, rain and tides".
Chinese meteorological officials said the In-Fa would weaken after landing, but could continue hovering over large areas of eastern China for several days, causing rumbling and heavy rains. "We need to be very vigilant and prevent disasters that could be caused by heavy rains (from typhoon Infa)," the China Meteorological Administration said on Sunday.
The national observatory has issues an orange alert for rainstorms. Red alerts for storm surges and high waves have also been issued.
Typhoon In-Fa Hits China Days after Life Threatening Floods
The storm hit as central China is still reeling from historic flooding that killed at least 58, cut off power and forced the relocation of more than 1 million people. Emergency crew are still working around the clock to rescue survivors and provide aid to the tens of millions of people affected by the floods. Central China has been hit by its heaviest rain in decades. Devastating floods wreaked havoc across Henan province.
