Shanghai suspends schools, flights as typhoon approaches China

FILE PHOTO: A man wearing a face mask is seen at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, China May 21, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song

Authorities in Shanghai and neighbouring coastal regions cancelled flights, and suspended schools, subways and trains as Typhoon Chanthu approached China after drenching Taiwan though causing little damage there.

The storm, with winds of more than 170 kilometres per hour near its eye, had been downgraded from a super typhoon to a strong typhoon on Sunday evening and was expected to gradually weaken, Shanghai city authorities said in a post on their official WeChat account.

But it was still expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to coastal regions.

People walk in strong wind and rain caused by Typhoon Chanthu in Taipei, Taiwan, September 12, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

The province of Zhejiang near Shanghai raised its emergency response to the highest level on Sunday, closing schools and suspending flights and rail services in some cities, the official Xinhua news service reported.

Zhejiang also issued red alerts for flash floods in nine districts. Ningbo port, China's second-biggest container transporting hub after Shanghai, had suspended operations since Sunday noon.

The port just resumed from a weeks-long port congestion, following typhoon In-Fa in late-July and a COVID-19-related terminal closure in mid-August.

A woman walks in strong wind and rain caused by Typhoon Chanthu in Taipei, Taiwan, September 12, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

In Shanghai, home to about 26 million people, all flights at the city's larger Pudong International Airport were to be cancelled from 11 a.m. local time (0300 GMT), while flights from the smaller Hongqiao airport in the west of the city were to be cancelled from 3 p.m., the Shanghai government announced on WeChat.

Port terminals in Shanghai regions suspended containers import and export services from Monday till further notice.

The city also suspended subway services on some lines serving the city's southern districts, and said parks, outdoor tourist attractions and playgrounds would be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Classes were also due to be suspended on Monday afternoon and Tuesday.

A man walks in strong wind and rain caused by Typhoon Chanthu in Taipei, Taiwan, September 12, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

Official forecasts called for rainfall of 250-280 millimetres in some areas of southeastern Jiangsu province, Shanghai and northeastern Zhejiang.

The typhoon passed by Taiwan's east coast over the weekend, disrupting transport and causing some power outages, but otherwise little damage.

(Reporting by Andrew Galbraith and Muyu Xu; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Sam Holmes)