On Monday, the typically bustling financial hub of Shanghai came to a halt as residents sheltered indoors, bracing for the impact of Typhoon Bebinca. The Category 1 storm, which made landfall in the city that morning, marked the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly hit Shanghai in over 70 years.

With peak wind speeds of 151 kph (94 mph) near its center, Bebinca struck the city of nearly 25 million at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time (2330 GMT), according to state media. This storm is the strongest to hit Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949. Torrential rain and fierce winds uprooted more than 10,000 trees across the city, leading to the evacuation of over 400,000 residents from high-risk areas. Despite the storm's intensity, only one injury had been reported by early afternoon, thanks to the efforts of more than 56,000 rescue workers deployed in response.

The storm also caused widespread disruptions to transportation, with over 1,400 flights canceled at Shanghai's two airports and more than 570 passenger trains halted since Sunday evening. This caused significant travel disruptions during China's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, a three-day public celebration. Several districts in Shanghai raised their weather alerts to the highest level, leading to the closure of parks, businesses, and major attractions such as Shanghai Disney Resort and Shanghai Wild Animal Park. Some metro services were affected, while highways and elevated roads faced closures or speed restrictions.

By early afternoon, Bebinca's eye had moved from Shanghai into the neighboring Jiangsu province, although rain was expected to continue throughout the day in the city. Shanghai is typically spared from direct hits by major typhoons, which often make landfall further south, such as Typhoon Yagi, a Category 4 storm that recently passed over southern Hainan province.