China, Japan ground ferries, flights as typhoon approaches

Pedestrians hold a tree to protect themselves from strong winds as Typhoon Hinnamnor hits in Naha, Okinawa in Japan Sunday. Pic/AP

Cities in eastern China suspended ferry services and classes and flights were canceled in Japan on Sunday as Typhoon Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, blew its way past Taiwan and the Koreas with fierce winds and heavy rains.

Shanghai grounded ferry services and deployed more than 50,000 police officers to aid with rescues and guide traffic away from danger areas. The eastern business hub of Wenzhou ordered all classes suspended on Monday.

Hinnamnor is forecast to move gradually northward into the East China Sea with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers (109 miles) per hour, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

Evacuations and flight cancellations have been ordered in Japan's southern Okinawa Island. The typhoon is also expected to bring intense rainfall to the Korean Peninsula, bringing the possibility of flooding.

China's National Meteorological Center issued a yellow typhoon warning at 10 a.m. Sunday, and warned of heavy rains in northeastern Zhejiang, Shanghai and self-governing Taiwan. In Japan, the typhoon lashed Okinawa and nearby islands with heavy rain and fierce winds, threatening flooding and grounding more than 100 flights connecting the islands and parts of main island Kyushu.

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