More than 1 million people have been evacuated across eastern China as Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the country this year, made landfall on Sunday, unleashing torrential rain and powerful winds while raising fears of flooding and landslides.
Dolphin came ashore near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at around 5:30pm, according to China’s meteorological authorities. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 42 metres per second near its centre, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The typhoon had already battered Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and more than 50,000 buildings lost power.
Chinese authorities launched a broad emergency response ahead of the storm, moving offshore workers to safer locations, ordering vessels into port and stepping up inspections around reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist attractions.
Forecasters warned that heavy rain would continue through August 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui and large parts of Jiangsu. Some areas of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive between 9.8 and 19.7 inches of rainfall.
Dolphin is expected to move west after making landfall before slowing over central and southwestern parts of China and gradually weakening, Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, told state broadcaster CCTV.
The storm’s slower movement could extend the period of intense rainfall, increasing the threat of flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous regions and near smaller rivers.
Transport networks across eastern China were heavily affected, while authorities in several provinces carried out mass evacuations. Shanghai alone relocated at least 30,300 people and canceled around 1,500 flights, according to flight-tracking provider VariFlight.
A 42-year-old tourist from Guangdong, identified by his surname Chen, said he became stranded in Shanghai after his family’s scheduled Sunday flight was canceled because of the storm.
The family was later moved to a flight scheduled for 10pm on Monday, although Chen said they remained uncertain whether the aircraft would be able to depart.
“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.
Zhejiang faced some of the largest evacuations. More than 900,000 people were moved to safety in Wenzhou, where authorities also opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters.
In Fujian, about 98,900 residents were evacuated from areas considered at high risk after officials raised the province’s typhoon emergency response to Level III, Xinhua reported. Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu also activated Level III emergency responses.
Maritime authorities in Fujian suspended 55 coastal passenger ferry routes, halted 115 offshore construction projects and ordered 290 construction vessels into sheltered waters.
The Ministry of Water Resources warned that the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers could experience major flooding, while smaller waterways in the hardest-hit areas could rise above warning levels.
Officials also issued warnings over the heightened threat of landslides and other geological disasters in parts of Zhejiang. Residents in areas covered by red mountain-torrent warnings were urged to follow evacuation instructions from local authorities.
In Shanghai, the Yangshan port cleared ships from its berths and moved more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to sheltered locations ahead of the typhoon, according to the city’s maritime safety administration.
Scientists have warned that climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events, including more powerful tropical cyclones.
