Shanghai, which has 23 million people and is the country's financial hub, banned many outdoor activities. It curtailed public transit, canceled more than 500 flights, and halted at least 600 trains on Wednesday, local media said.

The city relocated 374,000 residents and Zhejiang evacuated more than 1.5 million people, Xinhua said.

China is still recovering from typhoons Damrey and Saola, which hit over the weekend and caused at least 23 deaths. Saola also battered Taiwan and the Philippines and was blamed for about 60 deaths in the two countries.