Typhoon forces Shanghai to evacuate 283,000 residents
b>Shanghai braces for Typhoon Co‑May
During the evening of Wednesday, the ultrabright metropolis evacuated nearly 283,000 residents from low‑lying coastal zones as the relentless storm front slammed into the city. The swell of rain and wind has left outsized disruptions across urban infrastructure.
Air travel sees abrupt cuts
- Almost one‑third of all arrivals at Shanghai’s two international airports were cancelled, totaling roughly 640 flights.
- Authorities upgraded a previously issued yellow rainstorm alert to orange, the second‑highest warning level, mid‑afternoon on Wednesday.
Evacuation plan reaches completion
Co‑May struck eastern Zhejiang province at about 04:30 GMT Tuesday, delivering winds around 83 km h⁻¹ near the centre. The state broadcaster CCTV reported that 282,800 people had been relocated by 10:00 on Thursday, effectively meeting the evacuation target.
Temporary shelters support the elderly
- More than 1,900 portable shelters were deployed throughout Shanghai.
- In a suburban village, a large community hall—lined with dozens of iron beds—was largely occupied by senior citizens. Around 20 individuals ate a modest dinner while local staff assisted them.
City’s traffic and public transport services suffer
- Ferry services were cancelled.
- Highways are subject to additional speed limits.
- Metro and train services experienced interruptions.
- Legoland and Disneyland remained open during the morning lull.
Wave and tsunami warnings issued
As the typhoon moved northwest after early landfall, live footage from China’s eastern coast recorded towering waves overrunning seaside walkways. Broadcasts from Ningbo depicted residents splashing through ankle‑deep water.
Separately, China temporarily issued a tsunami warning for parts of its eastern seaboard following a magnitude‑8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The warning was later lifted, as reported by CCTV.
Co‑May’s influence on northern China’s weather
- The storm was downgraded to a tropical storm before leaving the Philippines, only to strengthen again over the South China Sea.
- Its passage has indirectly contributed to extreme weather over northern China. Chen Tao, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, told China Daily that heavy rain has killed more than 30 people and forced authorities to evacuate tens of thousands.
- “Typhoon activity can influence atmospheric circulation… thereby altering the northward transport of moisture,” Chen explained.
China’s environmental context
Natural disasters are perennial across China, especially during the hot summer months when some regions endure heavy rain while others bake under scorching heat. China remains the world’s largest emitter of the greenhouse gases driving climate change, intensifying the frequency and intensity of extreme weather. Yet, it is also a global renewable‑energy powerhouse that aims to make its massive economy carbon‑neutral by 2060.
