ZCZC
BFF-23
CHINA-TYPHOON
East China copes with Typhoon Ampil as it hits
SHANGHAI, July 23, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – Ampil, the 10th typhoon this year,
has made landfall on the island of Chongming in Shanghai at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, packing winds of up to 28 meters per second near its eye, the
municipal meteorological observatory said.
Ampil continues to move northwestward but waning in strength, the
observatory said.
The Chongming island, 45 km east of downtown Shanghai, is at the mouth of
the Yangtze River.
The Shanghai municipal flood control headquarters said it had relocated
more than 190,000 people, called over 1,600 ships back at port and reinforced
46,000 trees citywide.
Shanghai Disney Resort said it was operating normally, but will suspend
some outdoor attractions and performances during periods of heavy rain or
high winds. Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China, has suspended
rooftop sightseeing.
In neighboring provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, more than 42,500 people
were relocated. More than 28,000 ships including 22,900 fishing boats have
returned to port in Zhejiang.
The provincial weather bureau of Shandong expects Ampil to affect the
province in the afternoon, bringing thunderstorms and gales in the following
days. A geological hazard alert has been issued.
Influenced by a tropical depression in the Beibu Gulf, south China’s
island province of Hainan is bracing for strong wind and rain.
Nearly 23,700 fishing boats returned to take shelter from the storms, and
more than 68,700 people were relocated in Hainan. Ferry services across the
Qiongzhou Strait have been suspended.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/1214 hrs