BBC Online :
Powerful typhoon Chan-hom has made landfall along the coast of China’s eastern Zhejiang province.
Almost one million people have been evacuated from coastal areas in anticipation of the typhoon carrying wind speeds of 173km/h (107mph). Flooding and landslides are expected.
Chan-hom’s path is set to take it south of Shanghai later on Saturday.
The typhoon hit Taiwan and Japan earlier in the week, uprooting trees and injuring several people.
Chan-hom first hit Zhejiang province on an island near the city of Ningbo at around 16:40 (08:40 GMT), the National Meteorological Center said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
A China Central Television reporter was shown broadcasting knee-deep in a flooded street.
The BBC’s John Sudworth in Shanghai says more than 400 flights have been cancelled there along with a number of public events, and the government has told people they should stay at home.
Dozens of flights were also cancelled in Zhoushan, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou.Zhejiang province has called its entire fishing fleet back to port.
Some 100 train services were also cancelled.
Peter Abram, who is in Ningbo, told the BBC: “The supermarkets got cleaned out yesterday morning. I just tried to take a walk, but got blown back inside.
“The only people out in the thick of it are emergency services… All us Westerners here in Ningbo seem to be safely battened down in our apartments, candles at the ready.”
Philippa Osborne, who is in Shanghai, said: “From where I live in the middle of Shanghai, people have certainly heeded the warning to stay home. There are virtually no pedestrians out on the street, and the road traffic volume has been greatly reduced.”
Chinese television showed footage of coastal regions being battered by torrential rain as the typhoon neared.
Images from the region also showed flooded farmland.
Our correspondent says China is well used to dealing with such storms, although this is possibly the strongest July typhoon to hit Zhejiang since 1949. The highest red-alert warning remains in force, despite the storm being downgraded in category from super to strong.
Powerful typhoon Chan-hom has made landfall along the coast of China’s eastern Zhejiang province.
Almost one million people have been evacuated from coastal areas in anticipation of the typhoon carrying wind speeds of 173km/h (107mph). Flooding and landslides are expected.
Chan-hom’s path is set to take it south of Shanghai later on Saturday.
The typhoon hit Taiwan and Japan earlier in the week, uprooting trees and injuring several people.
Chan-hom first hit Zhejiang province on an island near the city of Ningbo at around 16:40 (08:40 GMT), the National Meteorological Center said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
A China Central Television reporter was shown broadcasting knee-deep in a flooded street.
The BBC’s John Sudworth in Shanghai says more than 400 flights have been cancelled there along with a number of public events, and the government has told people they should stay at home.
Dozens of flights were also cancelled in Zhoushan, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou.Zhejiang province has called its entire fishing fleet back to port.
Some 100 train services were also cancelled.
Peter Abram, who is in Ningbo, told the BBC: “The supermarkets got cleaned out yesterday morning. I just tried to take a walk, but got blown back inside.
“The only people out in the thick of it are emergency services… All us Westerners here in Ningbo seem to be safely battened down in our apartments, candles at the ready.”
Philippa Osborne, who is in Shanghai, said: “From where I live in the middle of Shanghai, people have certainly heeded the warning to stay home. There are virtually no pedestrians out on the street, and the road traffic volume has been greatly reduced.”
Chinese television showed footage of coastal regions being battered by torrential rain as the typhoon neared.
Images from the region also showed flooded farmland.
Our correspondent says China is well used to dealing with such storms, although this is possibly the strongest July typhoon to hit Zhejiang since 1949. The highest red-alert warning remains in force, despite the storm being downgraded in category from super to strong.
