台风沙德尔逼近浙江，宁波舟山港暂停集装箱作业、多地航班高铁停运

The coastal Chinese province of Zhejiang is battening down for the approach of Typhoon Saudel, with flights cancelled across the area. The eastern province is home to a number of major commercial centres, including the industrial hub of Ningbo, the port city of Zhoushan, and Wenzhou. Ningbo Lishe International Airport said flights in and out of the facility would be suspended from 11.30pm on Thursday. In Wenzhou, 90 flights were cancelled, while 22 flights were grounded in Zhoushan. According to the National Meteorological Centre, Saudel is expected to make landfall along the coast between Sanmen county in eastern Zhejiang and Xiapu in southeastern Fujian province between early Friday morning and noon as a typhoon or severe typhoon. If Saudel hits Zhejiang directly, it will be the third to make landfall there this year, equalling the province’s 2004 record of three typhoon landfalls in a single year. The province took direct hits from Typhoon Bavi in July and Typhoon Dolphin earlier this month, both of which brought fierce winds and torrential rain to the region. Saudel would also be the seventh typhoon to strike the Chinese mainland this year. The typhoon is centred over waters about 335km (208 miles) east of the Zhejiang city of Wenling, with winds of up to 144km/h (89mph) near its centre. A forecaster at the Zhejiang Meteorological Bureau told local media that Saudel was moving slightly faster than the previous two typhoons before entering the East China Sea. Its intensity was similar, while its impact would be shorter. The province is on an orange alert, the second-highest in China’s four-tier weather warning system. Saudel is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds across eastern and southern China, affecting manufacturing powerhouse Guangdong and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The approaching storm has also prompted authorities to suspend transport services elsewhere. Shanghai Ferry Company announced the suspension of all passenger ferry routes on Thursday and nearly 20 high-speed trains from Shenzhen to Nanjing, Xiamen, Shanghai, and Hangzhou were cancelled. Multiple high-speed train services within Zhejiang and Fujian provinces have also been halted. Major ports have also ramped up safety measures, with nearly 800 commercial vessels in Ningbo waters moved to shelters and all passenger ferry services stopped. Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the busiest port in the world by cargo tonnage, fully suspended container operations on Wednesday. In Wenzhou, the government on Wednesday updated its typhoon emergency response to Level 2, the second-highest level in China’s four-tier emergency response system. It has halted all outdoor group activities, classes, work, business operations and public transport. Scenic spots and tourist attractions across affected coastal areas have also been closed to the public.