Two people died in China as Typhoon Bebinca intensified into a tropical storm

Two people were killed in China’s eastern Jiangsu province as Typhoon Bebinca brought torrential rain and strong winds after it was downgraded to a tropical storm, state media reported on Tuesday.

Two residents of Zhouxi Town, about 80 kilometers northwest of Shanghai, were struck by a fallen high-voltage power line on Monday and died of electrocution, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

They are the only known deaths so far caused by Bebinca, which lashed Shanghai and neighboring provinces on Monday, flooding streets and knocking down tree branches and knocking out power to some homes.

A resident of Shanghai’s Chongming Island was also reported injured by a falling tree.

More than 414,000 people were evacuated ahead of the strong winds and torrential rain. Schools were closed and people were advised to stay indoors, while flights, ferry and train services were suspended.

Meteorological officials described it as the strongest typhoon to hit Shanghai since 1949, but it weakened as it moved inland. It was downgraded to a tropical storm around 2 a.m. Tuesday.

The National Meteorological Center warned that parts of Anhui, Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces could receive heavy or torrential rain, with rainfall of up to 20 centimetres, until noon Wednesday.

Roads in Shanghai were cleared and traffic was back to normal by Monday evening, while power was fully restored by midnight Tuesday, officials said.