Ports in eastern China at standstill as typhoon Muifa closes in

Authorities in China's eastern province of Zhejiang ordered ships to return to port, told schools to close and evacuated tourists from nearby islands, as one of this year's strongest typhoons is set to make landfall on Wednesday. Typhoon Muifa intensified on Tuesday as it barrelled towards the twin port cities of Ningbo and Zhoushan, which share the ranking of second-busiest port in China, in terms of cargo handled. State media said China's 12th cyclone of the year was expected to make landfall between the cities of Wenling and Zhoushan, bringing torrential rains on its sweep through eastern and southern coastal areas. That includes the commercial hub of Shanghai, just north of Ningbo and Zhoushan, the official Xinhua news agency said. China Southern Airlines said it has cancelled 25 flights at Shanghai airports on Tuesday and plans to cancel 11 more on Wednesday. All flights at the airports in Ningbo and Zhoushan have been cancelled for Wednesday, flight data platform Variflight told Reuters.<br/>