Transportation and classes were suspended and more than 1 million people in Shanghai and other cities of East China's Zhejiang Province were evacuated on Wednesday as the country moved to its highest tropical cyclone alert level for Typhoon Muifa, the strongest typhoon to land in China so far in 2022.
The storm is expected to hit 12 provinces and cities with severe gales and rainstorms.
Experts warned of potential damage and disasters brought by Muifa due to the long time and large range of its influence, but noted that it can also relieve the severe drought that some regions along the Yangtze River have suffered because of the continuous high temperatures.
China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Wednesday morning issued the first red alert for a typhoon in 2022 as Typhoon Muifa approached East China.
Around 8:30 pm on Wednesday, Muifa landed in the coastal regions of Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province, with the maximum winds near the center being 42 meters per second, and the minimum pressure at the center being 960 HPA, which makes it the strongest typhoon to land in China so far this year.
It is expected to make a second landfall along the coast from Pinghu in Zhejiang to Pudong in Shanghai around Wednesday midnight.
Gales and rainstorms are expected to affect the East China region for at least three days and further move toward Northeast China. A total of 12 provinces and regions are expected to be affected. Cumulative rainfall in some areas is expected to reach 50 millimeters to 150 millimeters between Wednesday and Friday, with some parts hitting 350 millimeters or more.