Typhoon Wipha starts whipping Russia

21 Sep, 2007 01:48 / Updated 17 years ago

Typhoon Wipha slammed into the Far East of Russia overnight. Heavy rains caused river levels to rise by up to 80 centimetres, though officials say there is little threat of flooding.

Typhoon Wipha came from China where it had worked its way up the East Coast. Schools were closed and flights grounded in the city of Shanghai and the Women's Football World Cup postponed. Winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour and heavy rain caused major flooding and disruption to transport links. Two million people were evacuated from the city and surrounding regions.