Typhoon Dolphin Hits Eastern China, Over One Million Evacuated
Theo Sarah Shamim (Al Jazeera English)
Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest storm to hit China this year, made landfall in eastern Zhejiang Province, forcing over one million evacuations. Heavy rain and flooding disrupted transport, canceled hundreds of flights, and prompted emergency responses across the region.
Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful storm to hit China this year, unleashed heavy rain and widespread flooding across eastern provinces, forcing over one million people to flee their homes.
The storm made landfall in Yuhuan City, Zhejiang Province, at 17:30 local time on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds near its center reaching 151 km/h, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. After moving inland, it weakened below tropical storm intensity and is expected to continue weakening as it travels deeper into the interior.
In Shanghai, about 40% of flights were suspended on Monday due to severe weather, with roughly 1,400 flights canceled. Chinese social media users circulated the hashtag "Shanghai turns into a sea" to describe the severe flooding in the city.
Shanghai authorities evacuated at least 30,300 people. In neighboring Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou City relocated over 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters. Taizhou City also evacuated about 390,000 people by Saturday evening. In Fujian Province, approximately 98,900 people were moved from hazardous areas after the government raised its emergency response level to III.
Heavy rain is forecast to continue over Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and most of Jiangsu Province. Central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250 to 500 mm of rainfall. China's Ministry of Water Resources warned that the Qiantang, Yong, Xiao, and Shuiyang rivers could experience major flooding, while smaller rivers in the worst-hit areas may rise above alert levels.
Authorities also warned of a high risk of geological disasters in some parts of Zhejiang and urged residents to stay indoors. Tourist attractions, including parts of Disneyland and Legoland, along with riverside observation decks in Shanghai, were closed. In Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang, parking fees at public lots were waived for those needing to leave their cars while seeking shelter.
Transportation faced widespread disruption. Fujian's maritime agency suspended 55 coastal ferry routes, halted 115 offshore construction projects, and moved 290 construction vessels to sheltered waters. Shanghai's Yangshan Port also cleared ships and relocated more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to safe harbors before the storm struck.
Earlier, Typhoon Dolphin affected Japan, Taiwan (China), and the Philippines. The storm passed over Japan's Ogasawara Islands on August 4, then swept through Okinawa Prefecture over the weekend, injuring at least 6 people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. In northern Taiwan, torrential rain from the storm since Saturday forced the suspension of dozens of ferry services and canceled more than 180 flights. In the Philippines, the typhoon intensified monsoon winds, causing flooding and landslides in several areas, with 5 people rescued, 7 missing, and over 12,000 displaced.
Typhoon Dolphin formed from a tropical depression on July 26 and strengthened into a severe typhoon by July 28. The name "Dolphin" was contributed by Hong Kong, after the Chinese white dolphin species.
