SHANGHAI, China — Typhoon Wipha slammed into the coast south of Shanghai early today as authorities moved 2 million people following forecasts it would be the most powerful storm to hit eastern China in a decade.
The storm weakened later in day and seemed unlikely to live up to those predictions.
Shanghai closed schools, delayed or postponed dozens of flights and ferry crossings and other transport links amid warnings of torrential rains and strong winds.
The storm, packing sustained winds of 100 mph, made landfall near Cangnan in southern Zhejiang province, state media reported.
State television showed streets flooded knee-deep in several regional cities.
Authorities in Shanghai, Zhejiang and Fujian province ordered 2 million people evacuated from ships and coastal regions and from housing judged to be unsafe.
The storm, with winds gusting to 145 mph, lost force as it moved north along the coast and was downgraded to a tropical storm. It was expected to pass over Shanghai later today.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage caused by the storm on mainland China.
Shanghai and the coastal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian to the south issued typhoon warnings requiring all vessels to return to shore or change course to avoid the storm. Numerous flights out of Shanghai were canceled.
Wipha, a woman’s name in Thai, was upgraded from a tropical storm Monday. Although it returned to that status today, it still had the potential to cause significant damage to Shanghai.
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