Housands of vessels in Yangtze River Delta have been forced to take shelter from Typhoon Soudelor as it approached East China on 10 August.
Ships have been ordered to head back to port to take shelter. The Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) has issued navigation warnings and is patrolling typhoon-hit areas. Wind speed reached 61.2 km/h, bringing torrential rains, according to Zhang Ming, an official from Nantong MSA.
Unlike other typhoons, Soudelor is expected to pass through the whole Jiangsu province.
Besides shipping, train services, highway traffic, as well as flights have been disrupted. About 120 trains, mostly running from Shanghai to major cities in Fujian and Guangdong, were taken out of service during the weekend. Several flights to and from the Yangtze River Delta have also been delayed or cancelled.
The latest information from Jiangsu water resources department was that the water levels in the trunks of the Yangtze River and Huai River have so far remained normal, while that of Lake Tai, near Shanghai, has surpassed the warning line.