A restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, prepares for Lekima with taped-up windows. Photo: AP
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https://scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3022105/eastern-china-red-alert-super-typhoon-lekima-approaches-mainland People & Culture
Eastern China on red alert as super typhoon Lekima approaches
- Weather bureau says Lekima is strongest typhoon since 2014
- Authorities batten down hatches with travel restrictions and preparations for heavy rain
Ships return to harbour at Zhoushan in Zhejiang province as authorities warn of super typhoon Lekima’s approach. Photo: Xinhua
China’s weather bureau issued a red alert on Friday as super typhoon Lekima approached eastern Zhejiang province after forcing flight cancellations in Taiwan and shutting markets and businesses on the island.
The National Meteorological Centre said the typhoon, the strongest since 2014, was expected to hit the mainland early on Saturday and then turn north. Gale warnings for the Yangtze River Delta region, which includes Shanghai, were issued.
Taiwan cancelled flights and ordered markets and schools to close on Friday as the typhoon headed northwest, cutting power to more than 40,000 homes and forcing the island’s high-speed rail to suspend most of its services.
The island’s authorities issued landslide warnings after an earthquake of magnitude 6 struck its northeastern coast on Thursday, hours before the typhoon approached, which was forecast to bring rainfall of up to 900mm (35 inches) to its northern mountains.
More than 300 flights to and from Taiwan were cancelled, and cruise liners were asked to delay their arrival in Shanghai.
Some train services from Shanghai have suspended ticket sales over the weekend, and Beijing said it would cancel several trains heading to and from typhoon-hit eastern regions.
Heavy rain and level-10 gales were expected in Shanghai on Friday and to continue until Sunday, with 16,000 suburban residents preparing to be moved, the official Shanghai Daily reported.
The meteorological centre warned that 24-hour rainfall levels across eastern China could reach 250 to 320 millimetres from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Port authorities were ordered to take action, with ships to be diverted to Hong Kong to help prevent accidents and collisions.
The water resources ministry has also warned of flood risks in the eastern, downstream sections of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers until Wednesday.
China is routinely hit by typhoons in the hot summer months, but weather officials said last week they had been relatively infrequent so far this year.