By DPA
Beijing : Typhoon Wipha brought winds of 45 metres per second to China’s east coast Wednesday, after officials evacuated more than two million people and warned that the typhoon could be the most destructive one to hit the area in a decade.
The “super typhoon” hit land in Cangan county, Zhejiang province, in the early hours of Wednesday and was also expected to bring severe weather to Shanghai and the southeastern province of Fujian.
State media showed troops evacuating local residents and helping to shore up dams and embankments.
As wind and rain brought by the typhoon began to batter eastern China Tuesday, several cities in Zhejiang recorded 162 mm of rain in 21 hours by Tuesday afternoon.
Some rivers and reservoirs in southeastern Zhejiang had already reached warning levels, reports said.
The official China Daily quoted Zhang Jiayi, deputy chief of the Shanghai flood control headquarters, as saying the city faced its “most severe test in decades”.
Zhejiang vice-governor Mao Linsheng ordered local officials to be vigilant against damage from strong winds, heavy rain, landslides and especially flooding in urban areas, the newspaper said.
Shanghai and several other eastern cities closed all schools Wednesday.
Wipha moved across China after leaving at least two people dead and two missing in northern Japan and Taiwan.