Shanghai: Typhoon Co-May hits; over 2.8 lakh evacuated as storm lashes with rain and high winds

Mint

7 days ago

China is bracing for a double blow from nature, as Typhoon Co-May made landfall in the financial hub of Shanghai on Wednesday evening, while tsunami alerts spread across the Pacific following a massive earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Nearly 283,000 people have been evacuated from at-risk areas in and around Shanghai as Typhoon Co-May — known locally as Zhu Jie Cao — brings heavy downpours and strong winds.
Authorities sounded alerts, cancelled hundreds of flights, and advised residents to remain indoors as the tropical storm swept through the region, according to news agency Reuters.
The storm initially made landfall in Zhoushan, a port city in Zhejiang province, with sustained winds reaching up to 83 km/h near its centre. Meteorologists warned that Co-May could make a second landfall closer to Shanghai later in the day.
The typhoon has already caused major disruption. Ferry services have been suspended, speed limits on highways reduced, and nearly 30% of all flights in and out of Pudong and Hongqiao airports have been cancelled, according to the airport operator.
Authorities have issued a level-one emergency response—the highest alert—for flood and typhoon control. Construction projects have been halted across the city, and thousands of residents in high-risk zones have been relocated.
Yangshan Port, the largest container port in the world, suspended operations on Tuesday. In nearby Zhoushan, major oil hubs have activated emergency protocols, urging workers to follow safety measures.
The typhoon's arrival comes just as the region reels from an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's eastern coast—one of the strongest ever recorded in the area.
The powerful quake triggered tsunami waves up to 12 feet high and forced evacuations across Russia's Far East, Japan, Hawaii, and other parts of the Pacific Rim.
In Russia, the town of Severo-Kurilsk saw flooding, and around 2,000 residents were evacuated. Some injuries were reported, though none were serious. Videos on social media showed buildings partly submerged by seawater. The Kamchatka region has declared a state of emergency, and aftershocks as strong as magnitude 7.5 are still expected.
In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate coastal areas. A 1.3-metre tsunami reached Iwate Prefecture, though no damage was reported. As a precaution, workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant were also evacuated.
Across the Pacific, Hawaii activated its highest tsunami alert, sending vessels out to sea and halting flights into Maui. Governor Josh Green said officials were waiting for a full assessment but had 'not yet seen significant wave activity'.
Tsunami warnings have also been issued for California, Chile, Ecuador, New Zealand, and French Polynesia. The US Tsunami Warning Centers have warned that waves as high as three metres could reach vulnerable coastlines.