Typhoon Wipha Intensifying, Set to Batter Eastern China.

Severe tropical storm Wipha has just been upgraded to typhoon strength and is set to slam into eastern China in about 2 days time. According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, Wipha has sustained winds of 80mph with gusts up to 115mph.

The areas most at risk in the current forecast are between the port cities of Ningbo and Wenzhou and there is a possibilty the typhoon could directly affect metropolitan Shanghai. This is a heavily populated and industrialised region and this typhoon has the potential to cause significant disruption to the local population.

Over the next 24 hours Chinese authorities should start to evacuate vulnerable citizens from areas at risk of coastal flooding.

I will be travelling to the forecast landfall zone tomorrow to cover this storm firsthand. More updates as this situation develops.....