Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated as a powerful typhoon made landfall near China’s financial center, Shanghai.
Typhoon Bebinca struck at around 07:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday in the coastal area of Lingang New City east of Shanghai, the China Meteorological Administration said.
It is the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai in 75 years, according to Chinese state media.
As a precaution, more than 400,000 people in the Shanghai Metropolitan area were evacuated on Sunday evening, according to local officials.
Another 9,000 people were evacuated from Chongming County, an island in the Yangtze River that is part of Shanghai.
Hundreds of flights were canceled as the city’s two major airports grounded all flights. Train services were also canceled and major roads were closed. A speed limit of 40km/h (25mph) has been imposed on inner city roads.
Shanghai’s 25 million residents have been advised to stay at home as the typhoon hits the city.
Authorities issued a red warning for Bebinca, the highest level, as wind speeds of up to 151km/h (94 mph) were recorded in the eye of the typhoon. It is expected to weaken as it moves inland.
Videos posted online show large trees being toppled and people dragging bicycles and motorbikes through flooded streets. Clip shared by Shanghai Daily showed a bus speeding down Huaihai Road in a shopping mall as billboards blown by strong winds fell to the ground.
The storm was one of the most discussed topics on Chinese social media site Weibo on Monday, with some users reacting with fears that it will get worse.
“This is the kind of thing you would only see on television,” wrote one Weibo user, who posted a video of trees shaking violently in a parking lot.
One user advised others to make sure doors and windows are properly locked and not to leave their homes unnecessarily.
It is not uncommon for Shanghai to receive a direct hit from strong typhoons, which often cross southern China.
The headquarters of the flood control team in the city said that they have received a number of reports of incidents related to the typhoon – mainly fallen trees and billboards.
Resorts in Shanghai, including Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Amusement Park and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, were temporarily closed and many ferries were grounded.
Another typhoon, Yagi, at least four people died and 95 were injured when it passed over the southern Chinese island of Hainan this month, according to weather authorities.
Yagi also caused severe flooding in Southeast Asia, killing hundreds of people in Vietnam and Myanmar.
Typhoon Bebinca passed through Japan and the central and southern Philippines, where falling trees killed six people.
Chinese media said Bebinca was expected to move northwest, causing heavy rain and strong winds in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.
With additional reporting by Kelly Ng, BBC News
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