Photo: EPA
Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast, bringing winds of up to 151 km/h, heavy rainfall and major disruptions to transport.
The storm struck near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. Authorities said sustained winds near the cyclone’s center reached 42 meters per second, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
The typhoon had earlier passed through Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and more than 50,000 buildings lost power.
Chinese authorities evacuated more than 1 million people ahead of the storm, ordered ships back to port and increased inspections of reservoirs, rivers, landslide-prone areas and construction sites.
Forecasters warned that Zhejiang, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu could receive heavy rainfall through August 10. Some areas of central and eastern Zhejiang could see between 250 and 500 mm of rain.
The slow-moving system is expected to travel westward across central and southwestern China while gradually weakening. However, meteorologists warned that its slow movement could prolong heavy rainfall and increase the risk of flooding and landslides.
Transport across eastern China was severely disrupted. Shanghai cancelled around 1,500 flights and evacuated more than 30,000 residents. In Wenzhou, more than 900,000 people were moved to safer areas and over 1,000 temporary shelters were opened.
Fujian evacuated nearly 99,000 people from high-risk areas, while authorities suspended 55 passenger ferry routes and moved hundreds of construction vessels to protected waters.
Authorities also warned of a high risk of flash floods and geological disasters in Zhejiang. Residents in areas under red flood warnings were urged to follow evacuation orders.
