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
