Typhoon Saudel disrupts transport in Zhejiang and Shanghai
Quick Look
- Typhoon Saudel made landfall in Zhejiang, causing widespread flight cancellations at Ningbo and Wenzhou airports and suspending ferry services in Shanghai.
- Major airlines are offering refunds as authorities maintain a red typhoon warning.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Typhoon Saudel made landfall in Zhejiang province, triggering the highest level of weather alerts in China.
Ningbo Lishe International Airport suspended all flight operations from 11.30pm on Thursday. Even though services resumed at 11am on Friday, some 16 inbound and 28 outbound flights were cancelled for the day.
In the Zhejiang city of Wenzhou, a base for private enterprise, 197 flights were grounded on Friday.
Adjacent to Zhejiang province, the Shanghai Passenger Ferry Company announced ferry routes were suspended from 9am on Friday, except for the Changxing-Hengsha river crossing.
Major air carriers such as Air China and China Southern Airlines have offered free rebooking or full refunds for passengers flying to and from affected hubs, including Shanghai, for travel between Thursday and Saturday.
According to the National Meteorological Centre, Typhoon Saudel made landfall along the coastal area of Yuhuan in Taizhou, Zhejiang, about 8am on Friday, with winds of up to 126km/h near its centre. After briefly moving out to sea, the typhoon’s centre made a second landfall at Wenzhou about 9.10am.
The forecaster has maintained a red typhoon warning, the highest level in China’s four-tier system.
Open Questions
- When will the red typhoon warning be downgraded?
- What is the total economic impact of the transport disruptions?
