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Powerful storm hits eastern China Powerful storm hits eastern China
(about 1 hour later)
Powerful Typhoon Wipha has hit China's densely populated eastern coast, south of the country's financial hub, Shanghai, state media say. Typhoon Wipha has hit China's densely populated eastern coast but will probably miss the country's financial hub, Shanghai, officials say.
State TV showed huge waves hitting the shore as soldiers worked in pouring rain to help residents to move to temporary shelters. Shanghai's flood prevention bureau said Wipha would probably pass 100km (60 miles) to the south-west of the city on Wednesday evening local time.
More than two million people were earlier evacuated from Shanghai and neighbouring areas. It has been downgraded to a tropical storm but could still cause major damage in the area near Shanghai.
Experts said the storm could be the worst to hit China in a decade. One man died after stepping into water touched by electrical wire.
The typhoon - with winds of up to 45m per second (150ft) - made landfall at 0230 on Wednesday (1830 GMT Tuesday), the Xinhua news agency reported. More than two million people were evacuated from Shanghai and the nearby provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang before the storm landed.
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao "demanded that relevant provinces and cities strengthen their guard against the typhoon... and safeguard the lives and safety of the people" in a statement posted on the Chinese government website. Extensive flooding
The province of Zhejiang bore the first brunt of Wipha. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Shanghai says the authorities have warned Wipha could still bring extensive flooding, high winds and heavy rains to China's biggest city and surrounding areas.
State TV showed waves of up to 10m (36ft) pounding eastern shores, and it reported that boats and ships had been ordered to return to port and ferry services suspended.
Earlier, heavy rains forced schools to shut and grounded flights, and flooding brought central Shanghai to a standstill.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange may close if "emergency measures" were necessary, state media reported.
Map of the typhoon's projected path Map of the typhoon's projected path
North Taiwan was earlier lashed by the edge of the typhoon. One man was reported killed and another seriously hurt when scaffolding collapsed at a building site in the capital, Taipei. The typhoon - with winds of up to 45 metres (150ft) per second - made landfall at 0230 on Wednesday (1830 GMT Tuesday) but was losing force as it travelled north along the coast.
Gaining strength Two FIFA Women's World Cup matches, originally scheduled for Wednesday in Shanghai and Hangzhou, have been postponed to Thursday, the Xinhua news agency reported.
China's National Meteorological Centre has described the storm as a "super typhoon". President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao demanded provinces safeguard the lives of residents, in a statement posted on the Chinese government website.
Experts earlier said that Wipha - a woman's name in Thai - could bring up to 200mm of rain and winds of more than 200km/h (120mph).
Typhoon animated guide In pictures: Typhoon loomsTyphoon animated guide In pictures: Typhoon looms
By late on Tuesday, more than two million people had been moved from their homes in Shanghai and the nearby provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, Xinhua said. Central Shanghai was brought to a standstill on Tuesday as schools were shut and transport links cancelled, amid warnings the storm could be the strongest to hit the region in a decade.
"Wipha will hit our province head on and the areas affected would be the most economically developed and densely populated," Zhejiang provincial government said. The province of Zhejiang south of Shanghai bore the initial brunt of Wipha.
A meteorologist at the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, Ding Ruoyang, said that residents in vulnerable areas or structures were being relocated. State media reported that 40,000 boats and ships were ordered back to port.
"The evacuation includes residents who live in old and dangerous houses, workers who live in temporary construction site structures, as well as workers living near the shore." Wipha - a woman's name in Thai - grazed northern Taiwan on Tuesday, prompting the closure of schools, offices and financial markets.
Flood control officials in Zhejiang province urged residents to be on alert for flash flooding and landslides, as rivers and reservoirs reached warning levels. One man was reported killed and another seriously hurt when scaffolding collapsed at a building site in the capital, Taipei.
The deadliest storm to hit the coast of China in recent years was Typhoon Winnie in 1997, which killed 236 people.The deadliest storm to hit the coast of China in recent years was Typhoon Winnie in 1997, which killed 236 people.
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Are you in the area affected by Typhoon Wipha? Are you preparing to evacuate? Do you have friends or relatives in the region? Send us your comments and experiences.Are you in the area affected by Typhoon Wipha? Are you preparing to evacuate? Do you have friends or relatives in the region? Send us your comments and experiences.
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