Wipha is Coming

It came as news to me this morning that a typhoon was headed for Shanghai. I just don't listen to, or watch, the local news enough to catch the weather reports. When I do, the reports are so inaccurate that I usually just don't bother. But when I got to work and checked the Internet I could see the projected track of Typhoon Wipha as coming right over Shanghai on Wednesday.

I've been in a couple of mild hurricanes and typhoons but Wipha looks like it could be an "undiluted" storm - the media is calling it a "super-typhoon" because the winds are over 130 mph. It started raining in downpours this afternoon. On the way to and from an appointment the streets were already overflowing the sidewalks and water pouring into shops. One old man in blue shorts and a dirty singlet was seated at the doorway to his little shop shoveling water back out the door with a plastic scoop. Young women were wading barefoot through the streets to try to get a taxi, holding their high heeled work shoes in their hands.

We've been asked to take plants and other objects off of our balconies least they become lethal projectiles in the 100+ mph winds that are expected in a few hours. This is my chance to get rid of a few items that are too large for the trash can. I hope my neighbor enjoys my old bike with the wobbly wheel.