Typhoon Dolphin Hits China’s East Coast as Over 1 Million People Evacuated

Typhoon Dolphin, described as the strongest tropical cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall on the country’s eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rainfall, powerful winds and a heightened risk of flooding and landslides.

The typhoon reached land near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at about 5:30 p.m. local time, with maximum sustained winds of around 151 km/h near its centre.

Authorities across several provinces moved quickly to protect residents, evacuate people from high-risk areas and secure vessels and infrastructure. More than 1 million people were evacuated as the storm disrupted transportation and raised concerns about widespread flooding.

Shanghai evacuated at least 30,300 residents and cancelled about 1,500 flights. The city’s Yangshan port also moved more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to sheltered waters ahead of the storm.

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

Forecasters warned that parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive between 250 and 500 mm of rain, with heavy rainfall also expected across Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu.

Officials warned that prolonged rainfall could cause rivers to rise above warning levels and increase the risk of flash floods, landslides and other geological disasters, particularly in mountainous areas.

Typhoon Dolphin had earlier swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and more than 50,000 buildings were left without electricity.

Chinese authorities ordered offshore workers to safety, suspended ferry services and halted several offshore construction projects as the storm approached.

Meteorologists expect Dolphin to move westward after making landfall before gradually weakening over central and southwestern China. However, forecasters warned that the storm could continue to produce heavy rainfall and dangerous conditions for several days.

Scientists have increasingly linked climate change to a greater likelihood of extreme weather events, including stronger tropical cyclones.

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