Typhoon Muifa strengthens, heads for Shanghai on China coast

BEIJING (AP) — A major typhoon has gathered strength as it heads over open water toward the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai. Heavy rain was reported in the city of more than 20 million people as Typhoon Muifa approached in the early evening. The Hong Kong Observatory classified it as a severe typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers (96 miles) per hour. Chinese media say all flights at Shanghai’s two main airports were canceled and authorities were evacuating people from construction sites and other risky areas. The storm’s latest track would take it through Jiangsu and Shandong provinces along China’s northeast coast after it hits Shanghai.