The unseasonably intense storm is starting to subside in Shanghai after a day of torrential rain and nearly 100-kilometer-per-hour winds.
Typhoon Kong-rey is finally starting to subside in Shanghai after subjecting the city to 24 hours of torrential rain and nearly 100-kilometer-per-hour winds.
The tropical cyclone hit Shanghai on Thursday afternoon, bringing with it the most extreme rainfall ever seen at this time of year in the city. More than 10 local weather stations recorded over 80 millimeters of precipitation in a single day, the highest figure ever recorded in November.
The Shanghai Meteorological Service issued its second-highest level of rainstorm alert at 10 p.m. on Thursday, while the Shanghai Flood Control Command raised the city’s flood and typhoon response to Level II.
A food courier at work as Typhoon Kong-rey swept through Shanghai, Nov. 1, 2024. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone
A policeman directs traffic as Typhoon Kong-rey swept through Shanghai, Nov. 1, 2024. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone
The aftermath of Typhoon Kong-rey in Shanghai, Nov. 1, 2024. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone
Workers in the coastal Fengxian District were evacuated, and several flights and high-speed train services were suspended. Some local universities switched to online classes.
The rain fell continuously overnight and into Friday, with some districts recording up to 132 mm of precipitation and gusts of 95 kph. However, no major flooding incidents or casualties have been reported, and the city has already downgraded its rainfall alert.
By Saturday, the weather is expected to die down in Shanghai. As of Friday evening, the storm has moved offshore, heading northeast, and is not predicted to make landfall in China again, as previously feared.
China’s typhoon season has been unusually late and intense this year. Four typhoons have made landfall in the country so far, nearly double the historic average. Normally, the storm season peaks in July, but things have been more unpredictable in 2024, with Shanghai being hit by back-t0-back typhoons in September.
Experts said that the unusual weather patterns are a result of higher-than-normal sea temperatures, among other factors.
Typhoon Kong-rey also struck Taiwan on Thursday afternoon, ranking as the third strongest typhoon to hit the island in October since 1951. As of Friday, three deaths have been reported on the island.
Shanghai’s weather is forecast to calm this weekend, with mostly cloudy conditions and light winds. Next week, a new cold front will bring a sharp drop in temperatures, with downtown areas potentially experiencing lows of 12 degrees Celsius.
Typhoon Kong-rey buffets China’s coastal provinces with strong winds and rough seas, in Wenling, Zhejiang province, Nov. 1, 2024. IC
A tourist is buffeted by strong winds from Typhoon Kong-rey at West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Nov. 1, 2024. VCG
A woman seals windows with wooden boards as Typhoon Kong-rey approaches, in Longgang, Zhejiang province, Oct. 31, 2024. VCG
Trees downed by strong winds from Typhoon Kong-rey lie on the streets, in Fuzhou, Fujian province, Nov. 1, 2024. VCG
Passengers at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, Nov. 1, 2024. Affected by Typhoon Kong-rey, several train services were suspended. VCG
To avoid strong winds and waves, a large number of fishing boats are anchored at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, Nov. 1, 2024. VCG
(Header image: A mother and a daughter on their way home as Typhoon Kong-rey swept through Shanghai, Nov. 1, 2024. Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone)
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