Shanghai Braces for Direct Hit from Typhoon Bebinca

People walk with umbrellas on a bridge amid rains and winds brought by Typhoon Muifa, in Shanghai, China September 14, 2022. (Reuters)
People walk with umbrellas on a bridge amid rains and winds brought by Typhoon Muifa, in Shanghai, China September 14, 2022. (Reuters)
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Shanghai Braces for Direct Hit from Typhoon Bebinca

People walk with umbrellas on a bridge amid rains and winds brought by Typhoon Muifa, in Shanghai, China September 14, 2022. (Reuters)
People walk with umbrellas on a bridge amid rains and winds brought by Typhoon Muifa, in Shanghai, China September 14, 2022. (Reuters)

Shanghai halted transportation links, recalled ships and shut tourism spots including Shanghai Disney Resort on Sunday as it braced for Typhoon Bebinca, in what could be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Chinese financial hub since 1949.

The Category 1 typhoon, packing maximum sustained wind speeds near its center of around 144 kilometers per hour (89 miles per hour), was about 500 kilometers southeast of Shanghai as of 1:00 p.m. (0500 GMT). It is expected to make landfall along China's eastern coast after midnight on Monday.

The strongest storm to make landfall in Shanghai in recent decades was Typhoon Gloria in 1949, which tore through the city with gusts of 144 kph. Shanghai was last threatened by a direct hit in 2022 by the powerful Typhoon Muifa, which instead landed 300 km away in the city of Zhoushan, in Zhejiang province.

Shanghai is typically spared the strong typhoons that hit further south in China, including Yagi, a destructive Category 4 storm that roared past southern Hainan province last week. But Shanghai and neighboring provinces are taking no chances with Category 1 Bebinca.

Resorts in Shanghai, including Shanghai Disney Resort, Jinjiang Amusement Park and Shanghai Wild Animal Park, have been temporarily closed while most ferries have been halted to and from Chongming Island - China's third-biggest island known as "the gateway to the Yangtze River".

More than 600 flights to and from Shanghai were also cancelled, according to local media.

In Zhejiang, ships have been recalled while several parks in the provincial capital Hangzhou announced closures.

Bebinca's arrival will coincide with the Mid-Autumn festival, a nationwide three-day holiday when many Chinese travel or engage in outdoor activities.

China's Ministry of Water Resources on Saturday issued a Level-IV emergency response - the lowest level in China's four-tier emergency response system - for potential flooding in Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.



Saudi Northern Borders Witness Return of Diplotaxis

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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Saudi Northern Borders Witness Return of Diplotaxis

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

The Saudi Northern Borders region, renowned for its diverse desert landscape, is witnessing the resurgence of the Diplotaxis, a vibrant yellow-flowered species that had become increasingly rare.
This resurgence is attributed to continuous conservation efforts, including the establishment of wildlife reserves and the implementation of stricter environmental protection laws, according to SPA.
Diplotaxis is an annual plant in the Northern Boreders region, typically reaching half a meter in height. Its hairy leaves, an adaptation to the harsh desert climate, help retain moisture. The plant thrives in gravelly soils and blooms in spring with fragrant yellow flowers.
Aman Environmental Association Board of Directors Chairman Nasser Al-Majlad told SPA that the early rainfall this year fostered the growth of numerous plant species, including Diplotaxis, which had been absent from the area for several years.
The Northern Borders region boasts a rich variety of plant life, including aromatic, seasonal, and annual species.

This diverse flora plays a crucial role in combating desertification, stabilizing soil, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing the region's environmental health. Moreover, it contributes to the region's tourism appeal.