Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in the eastern coastline region of Shanghai at approximately 7:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Chinese official media claim that this is the greatest storm to hit Shanghai in 75 years.
Local officials reported that by Sunday evening, over 400,000 residents of the Shanghai Metropolitan Region had been moved as a precaution.
Nine thousand more residents were evacuated from Shanghai’s Chongming District, which is an island at the Yangtze River’s mouth.
The two main airports in the city grounded all aircraft, resulting in hundreds of cancelled flights. Train services were also cancelled and roadways closed. The speed limit for city roadways was set at 40 km/h (25 mph).
The 25 million people who live in Shanghai have been told to stay indoors while the storm rages.
A red alert has been issued by authorities for Bebinca, the highest level, due to wind speeds of up to 151 km/h (94 mph) recorded at the center of the typhoon. As it gets farther inland, it should lessen.
Videos that were uploaded online showed individuals carrying their motorcycles and bicycles through flooded streets and big trees that had fallen. In a video posted by Shanghai Daily, billboards were swept past when a bus suddenly braked down Huaihai Road in a busy shopping area.
