Shanghai, China’s financial hub, has closed its seaports and canceled more than 600 flights as it braces for what may be the strongest tropical storm to hit the city in 75 years.
Typhoon Bebinca is expected to make landfall early Sept. 16 after ripping through the Philippines over the weekend. More than 377,000 people were evacuated according to local authorities, as the potential for up to 10 inches of rain dampens the mood of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional holiday in East Asia where people usually travel for family reunions and outdoor activities.
The storm comes on the heels of super Typhoon Yagi, which devastated Vietnam and brought manufacturing and international shipping hubs in Southern China to a standstill for days. Severe weather whiplash is a growing concern for China’s food security and manufacturing sector, with most scientists predicting that warmer summers and hotter oceans caused by climate change will juice storms beyond current levels in decades to come.
