China: Typhoon Chanthu stalls offshore and begins to weaken – Frontline

In China,Typhoon Chanthu,whichhad been churning towards the city of Shanghai, appeared to have stopped short of making landfall on September 13. While there hasstill been strong wind and heavy rain, its believed it would have been far worse had it made landfall.

The AP news agencyreported that transport links have been largely restored in the populous city,after flights at bothPudong and Hongqiao airports were suspended. State-affiliated media reported that both airports are operational.

As Chanthu made its approach, authoritiesordered the evacuation of around 100,000 people, state media reported. Trains and subway stations were also shut, along with schools and offices. The China Meteorological association said the typhoon was lingering 225 kilometers (140 miles) east of Shanghai.

The system wasexpected to move in a northeasterly direction towards South Korea and Japan in the coming days.

Taiwan was soaked as the eye of the storm passed nearby, dropping 13 centimeters (5 inches) of rainfall. In JulyTyphoon In-fa also disrupted flightsand prompted evacuations in the southern part of the city. Severe flooding caused by record rainfall in July also led to the deaths of at least 292 people inthe city of Zhengzhou, in central China.

kb/rc (AP, AFP)

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China: Typhoon Chanthu stalls offshore and begins to weaken - Frontline