Bebinca, the 13th typhoon of the year, has been wreaking havoc in Shanghai since making landfall around 07:30 on Monday, bringing about 50 millimeters of rainfall by 08:00.
At the time of landfall, the maximum wind speed near the eye of the storm was about 42 meters per second.
Shanghai's meteorological observatory upgraded the yellow alert for heavy rain to an orange alert at 11:00, forecasting that the cumulative precipitation in most areas of the city will exceed 100 mm within the next six hours.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Amid the heavy rainstorm, a tuned mass damper inside the Shanghai Tower, designed to keep the 632-meter skyscraper stable under severe weather conditions, was seen visibly shaking.
The special wind resistance device weighs about 1,000 tons and can produce a reacting force against the tower's mass inertia. Its main function is to mitigate vibrations caused by rainstorms, providing more comfort to people on the higher floors.
As of the dawn on Monday, more than 414,000 residents have been evacuated to safety and over 800 ships have returned to port, according to Shanghai's flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The resettlement sites are fully equipped with power supplies, lighting, drinking water, food, and other essential supplies to support the evacuees.
Over 2,500 rescue teams consisting of 56,000 rescue workers, backed by over 80 mobile pump trucks and 400 material warehouses, are on standby for emergency response.
Typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc in Shanghai
Typhoon Bebinca wreaks havoc in Shanghai
More users of new energy vehicles (NEVs) are hitting the road during this year’s National Day holiday, as an expanded public charging network in China is significantly alleviating range anxiety for drivers.
Since Tuesday, the first day of the week-long holiday, expressways in east China's Jiangsu Province have seen daily traffic exceed 150,000 vehicles, with nearly 10 percent being NEVs. In Taizhou City, a service area reported all 12 charging piles occupied around 14:00 on Wednesday.
"The number of charging piles has doubled, and they are all fast chargers. What's even more reassuring is that the staff are always here to serve us, which really eases my range anxiety," said Meng Haoyang, a NEV driver.
Similar scenes were observed in Anhui Province, where electric vehicles are arriving for charging every ten minutes at a service area equipped with 16 functioning charging piles available around-the-clock.
"It is quite convenient to charge our vehicles here since there are staff providing full service, which reduces our waiting time," said Jiang Hao, another NEV driver.
A famous tourist attraction, the Shimen Village in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province has drawn an increasing number of visitors going on holiday via electric vehicles, thanks to the construction of a new EV charging station.
"It is very convenient. The car is parked outside being charged while we're enjoying our tour around the village. Things can be done simultaneously without delay," said a tourist Wan Qian.
Data from the State Grid's smart vehicle networking platform showed EV charging volume at expressway stations reached a record 15.58 million kilowatt-hours during the first two days of the holiday, up 56 percent from the same period last year.
Local authorities are actively fostering a user-friendly environment to accommodate the surge in EV traffic.
In Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, three mobile charging stations have been added to a service area on the busy Shenyang-Haikou Expressway to resolve drivers' range anxiety and offer more flexible charging options.
"We have prepared mobile charging piles in service areas with large traffic and charging demand for the holiday, guiding drivers to charge in an orderly and fast manner," said Zhu Zhenyuan, a staff member from the State Grid Pinghu Power Supply Company.
The coverage of charging stations has been further expanded across the country.
In Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province, charging facilities are available in all service areas and tourist attractions.
In Xiaogan, Hubei Province, 600 villages and rural scenic spots have been equipped with charging stations during this holiday, greatly facilitating tourist trips and family visits for EVs owners.
Expanded charging network boosts NEV use during National Day holiday
