Typhoon Wipha Slams Coast Of China

Typhoon Wipha slammed into the Chinese coast less than 60 miles south of Wenzhou about three hours ago and remains a Category 3 hurricane has it travels north at about 12 mph. With 115 mph maximum sustained winds, the typhoon remained a Category 3 hurricane at about 5 p.m. EDT, when the Joint Typhoon Warning Center released its latest report. It has lost strength, and will continue to lose strength as it passes over land.

Chinese state-run media has said Typhoon Wipha could be the strongest in a decade. More than 1 million people were moved out of Shanghai and neighboring cities in advance of the hurricane, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Joint Tsunami Warning Center called it a "Super Typhoon" before losing Category 4 strength. It was the world's 13th major hurricane this year. (Click here for an interactive map showing each of the ategory 4 or 5 storms documented this year.)

Before striking China, it brought heavy rains and floods to Okinawa, and passed Taiwan, killing two, according to various media reports. Press had not made reports of death in China. Predicted Path of Typhoon Wipha Joint Typhoon Warning Center Wipha is a woman's name in Thai.

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