Typhoon In-Fa sweeps into China after flooding chaos

  25 July 2021    Read: 489
Typhoon In-Fa sweeps into China after flooding chaos

China's eastern coast is bracing for a major typhoon just days after deadly floods devastated parts of the country.

Typhoon In-Fa make landfall in the city of Zhoushan at 12:30 local time (04:30 GMT), state media reported.

Flights and train services have been suspended, while people have been ordered to stay indoors.

Disruptive winds, rough seas and flooding are expected. Meanwhile, dozens of ships have been evacuated from a busy port south of Shanghai.

The typhoon follows a period of historic flooding that caused widespread damage and killed at least 58 people in central China.

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.

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.

Japan's Meteorological Agency forecasts the storm will track west towards the city of Hangzhou.

From Sunday, the typhoon will bring "long periods of extremely heavy rainfall", China's National Meteorological Center said.

It added that coastal areas "should guard against the combined impact of wind, rain and tides".

Authorities in Zhejiang province have ordered schools, markets and businesses to close, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

In Shanghai - China's biggest city - some public parks and museums have been shut.

This week's flooding in central China has raised questions about preparations for extreme weather events in the country's major cities.

Many factors contribute to extreme weather, but experts say climate change caused by a warming atmosphere makes these events more likely.

As Typhoon In-Fa hits China, another tropical storm in the region is threatening to bring heavy downpours and strong winds to the Tokyo Olympics in Japan next week.


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