A powerful typhoon has made landfall near the Chinese financial hub of Shanghai.
Typhoon Bebinca hit at about 7:30 local time (23:30 GMT) on Monday in the coastal area of Lingang New City in Shanghai’s east, the China Meteorological Administration said.
Typhoon Bebinca is the strongest storm to hit Shanghai in 75 years, according to Chinese state media.
It is rare for Shanghai to get a direct hit from strong typhoons, which tend to make landfall further south in China.
Authorities have issued a red alert for Bebinca, the highest level, as wind speeds of up to 151km/h (94 mph) were recorded at the typhoon’s eye.
As a precaution, more than 400,000 people had been relocated by Sunday evening, according to the Shanghai flood control headquarters.
A further 9,000 people were evacuated from the Chongming District, an island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, city authorities said.
The city’s flood control headquarters also said they had received dozens of reports of incidents related to the typhoon – mostly fallen trees and billboards.
