Typhoon Dolphin hits China’s east coast, over 1 million evacuated

BEIJING – Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China in 2026, made landfall on the country’s eastern coast on Aug 9, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides.

The typhoon has already swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall near Yuhuan in eastern Zhejiang province at about 5.30pm on Aug 9, China’s meteorological authorities said.

The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 151kmh near its centre at landfall, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The authorities had moved offshore workers to safety, ordered vessels back to port and increased checks at reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist locations.

Torrential rain is forecast through Aug 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, north-eastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu.

Parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250mm to 500mm of rain, according to forecasters.

After landfall, Dolphin is forecast to track westwards before slowing over central and south-western China and gradually losing strength, Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, told state broadcaster CCTV.

That could prolong heavy rain and raise the risk of flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.

Transport was widely disrupted across the east of the country and more than one million people were evacuated from their homes.

In addition to evacuating at least 30,300 people, Shanghai has cancelled about 1,500 flights, according to flight-tracking data provider VariFlight.

A 42-year-old tourist from Guangdong, surnamed Chen, said he was stranded in Shanghai after his family’s flight, scheduled to depart on Aug 9, was cancelled because of Typhoon Dolphin.

He said the family had been rebooked on a flight at 10pm on Aug 10, although they were unsure whether it would be able to take off.

“To us Guangdong people, this typhoon is as ordinary as having a meal and feeling the wind. It’s just part of everyday life,” Chen said, adding that the storm did not appear particularly strong by the standards of China’s southern coast.

In neighbouring Zhejiang province, the city of Wenzhou relocated more than 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters.

In Fujian province, the authorities evacuated 98,900 people from high-risk areas after raising the typhoon emergency response to Level III, according to Xinhua. Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu have also activated Level III emergency responses.

The Fujian maritime authorities said 55 coastal passenger ferry routes had been suspended, all 115 offshore construction projects halted and 290 construction vessels moved to sheltered waters.

The Water Resources Ministry said the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers could see major flooding, while smaller rivers in the hardest-hit areas could rise above warning levels.

The authorities warned of a high risk of geological disasters in parts of Zhejiang, while residents in areas covered by a red mountain-torrent warning were told to follow local evacuation orders.

Shanghai’s Yangshan port cleared ships from its berths and moved more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to shelter ahead of Dolphin, the city’s maritime safety administration said.

Scientists say global warming has made extreme weather more likely, including stronger typhoons. REUTERS