Ningbo (China) (AFP)

Eastern China was swept by Typhoon In-Fa on Sunday, which made landfall there at midday, when the clean-up of the damage due to the devastating floods of a few days ago is in full swing on a part of its territory.

Accompanied by gusts of winds blowing up to 38 meters / second (nearly 137 km / h), this tropical storm reached the region of the cargo port of Ningbo, one of the largest in the world with that of Shanghai, announced the Chinese weather services.

Activity was suspended in these two ports, while air, rail and sea traffic was interrupted over a whole section of the eastern coast.

Many trees have been uprooted in downtown Ningbo by In-Fa, which has not yet caused considerable damage and whose intensity has weakened since its arrival on Chinese soil.

Rainwater was plentiful on the arteries of some neighborhoods, with traders piling sandbags to prevent it from entering their establishments.

All flights were postponed at the two international airports in Shanghai, China's largest metropolitan area, which was nonetheless untouched by the heavy rainfall.

The same goes for rail links, which should not resume until midday on Monday.

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Residents of this megalopolis have been urged to avoid outdoor activities, while the Shanghai Disneyland amusement park has been closed.

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Further west, in Henan province, where historic flooding has left at least 63 people dead this week, authorities continue to remove car wrecks and debris that impede traffic on the roads, according to a new official report on Sunday. roads.

Bad weather hit millions of people, many left stranded without food or water for several days, with others rescued in bulldozer shovels.

More than 495,000 people had to be evacuated, according to the Henan government and the damage ran into billions of euros.

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The Chinese meteorological agency estimates that the typhoon will cause intense rains for several days in the east, including in areas affected by floods.

"It is necessary to be particularly vigilant and to prevent disasters that can be caused by extreme precipitation" linked to In-Fa, the weather services warned on Sunday.

China has always had its rainy season, but record rainfall in Henan has cast doubt on the ability of Chinese cities to cope with these weather phenomena, which experts predict will become more frequent and intense due to the weather. climate change.

Streaked with rivers, the province of Henan is equipped with dams and reservoirs intended to stem the flow of water and irrigate agricultural regions.

But their construction dates back several decades and galloping urban expansion is putting pressure on the drainage network.

© 2021 AFP