A powerful tropical storm named Co-May has recently made landfall in eastern China, leading to large-scale disruptions, precautionary evacuations, and heightened public safety measures. The storm struck the port city of Zhoushan in Zhejiang province during the early hours of Wednesday, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rainfall. In response, authorities in Shanghai acted quickly and decisively, relocating over 280,000 residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations. As a precaution, transportation services were significantly impacted—hundreds of flights at Shanghai’s major airports were either delayed or cancelled, and all ferry operations were suspended. Speed limits were also enforced on roads and railway tracks to ensure public safety amid hazardous conditions.
Although the wind speeds of Co-May were not as intense as those associated with typhoons, officials in Shanghai and other cities within the Yangtze River delta region did not take any chances. More than 640 flights were expected to be cancelled across the city’s two airports, Pudong and Hongqiao. Ferry services ceased entirely from Wednesday morning, and drivers were urged to keep their vehicles at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour on highways to avoid accidents. While Shanghai’s popular tourist attractions like Disneyland and Legoland remained open, the weather forced the suspension of certain outdoor rides and performances.
The storm also affected airports and train services in surrounding cities such as Ningbo, Wenzhou, and Hangzhou. Zhoushan, where Co-May initially made landfall, saw over 75% of its flights grounded. Train services in the region were either temporarily suspended or operated at significantly reduced speeds. Although Shanghai does not frequently experience the direct impact of severe typhoons, the authorities remained vigilant due to Co-May's unusual trajectory. The most recent storm of comparable strength to directly hit Shanghai was Typhoon Bebinca, which made landfall last year and was the most intense storm to affect the city since 1949.
In a troubling coincidence, the arrival of Co-May coincided with an 8.8 magnitude earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. This undersea quake triggered tsunami warnings across the region, including eastern China. Authorities fear that the quake could worsen storm surge conditions along China’s coastline. The Chinese National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center issued a warning about the potentially “disastrous impact” of the tsunami, especially in Shanghai and Zhoushan, where waves as high as one meter were anticipated. Additionally, the natural resources ministry cautioned that the tsunami could reach Chinese shores by early evening, compounding the existing risks posed by the tropical storm.
Elsewhere, along Japan’s Pacific coastline, alerts were issued for waves possibly reaching up to three meters in height due to the same tsunami. Experts emphasize that tsunami waves generated by such powerful underwater earthquakes can travel vast distances across oceans without losing their destructive energy. This dual threat—posed by the tropical storm and the tsunami—has significantly raised concerns among local authorities and residents alike, prompting a state of heightened alert throughout the region.
