Yagi to make history as third typhoon to affect Shanghai in a month

Typhoon Yagi is likely to make landfall around Yuhuan or Xiangshan in Zhejiang Province during the night of August 12, weather authorities have announced. It is the third typhoon that will impact Shanghai within a month, a first in recorded history.

The city’s flood control authority issued blue typhoon alert at 8pm on Saturday.

The meteorological bureau warned that coastal waters near Shanghai are currently higher than normal, meaning that rainfall and surges brought about by Yagi may have greater impact on seawalls and levees.

Though the odds of Yagi hitting Shanghai directly are small, the rainfall it brings will be more serious than the previous two, Shi Guanghui, head of the city’s flood control authority said.

Yagi’s impact on Shanghai may reach its climax on Monday morning after making landfall as heavy rainstorms will follow. The flood control authority said it may issue an orange alert for rain in some areas around the city on Monday.

Preparations well underway

An official said people at Yangshan Deep-water Port must all retreat before Sunday afternoon as well as those who work near the coast. All tourist sites near the coast, like Bihaijinsha Park in Fengxian and City Beach in Jinshan, should all close from Sunday noon.

Low-lying areas like Metro station entrances, constructions sites and sunken-style plazas are urged to prepare for rainstorms. The East Xujing Station of Metro Line 2 has completed modifications at entrance 6 to prevent water from flooding entering the station.

Coastal areas like Pudong, Fengxian, Jinshan and Chongming have sent teams to inspect seawalls and sluices to ensure a secured water level in the region when the rain comes.

At Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District, cruise ship Superstar Virgo will depart from the port earlier than planned at 3pm on Sunday to dodge the storm.

By 8pm on Saturday, Yagi was 730 kilometers southeast of Taizhou city of Zhejiang Province. It was moving towards the northwest at a speed of 18 kilometers per hour, and continued intensifying.