Chinese authorities evacuated more than 400,000 people in Shanghai as the most powerful typhoon in 75 years bore down closing airports and disrupting rail and road travel.

The strongest typhoon in more than seven decades has struck China’s financial hub, leading to widespread flight cancellations and disrupting holidaymakers at the start of a days-long national festival.

Bebinca is the second storm to hit China in a matter of weeks, after Super Typhoon Yagi struck Hainan island in the nation's south, killing people and causing widespread damage. The system then moved into northern Vietnam and Thailand, flooding households and swamping infrastructure.

Shanghai's strongest typhoon in 75 years forced container vessels to steer clear of the two major ports in the metropolitan area.

Typhoon Bebinca struck Shanghai on Monday morning as a Category 1 storm, marking the most powerful storm to hit the city in over seven decades. The storm landed early Monday morning with wind speeds of nearly 100 mph,