Typhoon may jolt Shanghai

2011-08-03 08:31

COUPLES may want to snuggle up (搂在一起) indoors for Chinese Valentine's Day as storms from approaching typhoon Muifa are forecast for the weekend.

Muifa, the ninth typhoon in the Pacific this year, is nearing China's east coast and is set to enter the East China Sea on Friday, said the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

The typhoon was still more than 1,000 kilometers away from the city last night and moving northwest at a speed of 11 kilometers per hour, the bureau said.

"There is still lot of uncertainty about its path, whether it will land on the mainland or somewhere else," said Fu Yi, a chief service officer of the bureau. "It's still unclear whether it will land in Shanghai."

Fu said the path of Muifa should be more apparent today and the observatory will keep the public updated.

Today and tomorrow are forecast cloudy with thundershowers, with the high around 33 degrees Celsius and the low 27 degrees, the bureau said. 

Muifa's outer bands should start to affect the city on Friday, after it enters the East China Sea. Conditions should be mostly stormy with thunder from then until next week and the high should be around 30 degrees.

This Saturday is qixi in the Chinese calendar - or the Chinese Valentine's Day.

However, romantic strolls may not be a good idea, with torrential rain, gales (大风;暴风) and thunder and lightning a distinct possibility.

The bureau has posted tips on its website advising locals not to stay outdoors, fasten windows and, if outside, not shelter beneath trees, temporary structures or billboards. 

The last serious typhoon the city experienced was Morakot in 2009, which caused serious flooding across the city. The maximum precipitation recorded was 132 millimeters in Qingpu District.

Typhoon Matsa in 2005 was the strongest to hit Shanghai in the past decade. Four people died in the typhoon and the economic loss to the city was estimated at 100 million yuan (US$15.5 million).

Source:Shanghai Daily