Typhoon Muifa lashes eastern China, forcing 1.6m from homes

SHANGHAI: High winds and heavy rain lashed China’s densely populated east coast on Thursday, after Typhoon Muifa forced around 1.6 million people to leave their homes and grounded most flights at Shanghai’s main airports.

Muifa is the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Shanghai -- home to more than 25 million people -- since record-keeping began in 1949, state broadcaster CCTV said. However, there were no immediate reports of any deaths or casualties. At least 426,000 people were evacuated in Shanghai and another 1.2 million people were taken to temporary shelters in neighbouring Zhejiang province, CCTV added. Heavy rainfall led to traffic tailbacks and floods in several areas of the Yangtze river delta region, a major global manufacturing hub.