Emergency measures in place for typhoon
A man rushes to cross a street in heavy rain in Shanghai last night.
Typhoon Jongdari is very likely to make landfall in Shanghai this morning, local weather authority said.
The Shanghai Meteorological Bureau yesterday raised the typhoon alert from blue, the lowest in the four-tier alert system to second-tier yellow. Coastal districts of Jinshan, Chongming, Fengxian and the Pudong New Area were on a higher orange alert.
The typhoon had hit the waters just 470 kilometers off southeast Shanghai by 3pm yesterday. It was heading toward the city at a speed of 25-30 kilometers per hour.
If it stays on its course, it is very likely to hit the city’s Fengxian District this morning. The city’s southern regions will record precipitation of up to 120 millimeters.
Scattered showers are expected over the weekend but the mercury will return to 35 degrees Celsius.
Mayor Ying Yong said Jongdari may hit harder than Typhoon Ampil and asked the administration to brace for the impact and ensure safety.
By 8pm yesterday, about 88,000 people had been evacuated to temporary shelters, the city’s flood control authority said. In Jinshan District, about 15,000 people are evacuated to 40 temporary shelters. Twenty-three emergency teams and 600 soldiers are on standby to deal with situations.
The Jinshan-Shanghai railway service will be suspended from 9am to 3pm today.
Boats in Chongming District and the Pudong New Area have been put away. Authorities have also lowered the water levels of inland rivers ahead of the expected heavy downpour.
Shanghai Shentong Metro Group said elevated Metro lines will limit the train speed or even suspend operation.
The city’s transport authority has mobilized 840 buses to run temporary routes in case the Metro operation was suspended.
According to the railway authority, 119 trains departing from Shanghai have stopped selling tickets.
The State Grid Shanghai Co also inspected 1,812 transformers at power substations to ensure stable power supply when typhoon strikes. More than 3,000 emergency engineers and workers will be on standby, the company said.
More than 11,000 trees were secured, and 800 outdoor advertisement boards were dismantled. About 32,000 sanitation workers were involved in clearing up about 116,000 drainage outlets and 60,000 garbage bins.
Parks and scenic spots such as the Jinshan City Beach, Longxia Ecological Park, Fengjing Watertown, Jinshanzui Fishing Village, Mingzhu Lake, Zuibaichi Park, the Paotaiwan tourist attraction, Shanghai Flower Port and Bihaijinsha Beach will be closed today.
Shanghai Education Commission has ordered schools to halt all outdoor activities and summer activities. Kindergartens and the Love Summer Care Camps, a government-organized program for primary school students, will be closed.
