China’s eastern coast is bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin as the powerful storm moves toward land, disrupting air travel, ferry services, train operations and daily life across several provinces.
Authorities have raised their highest-level typhoon warning as heavy rainfall and powerful winds threaten densely populated areas, including Shanghai and parts of Zhejiang and Fujian.
The storm has already caused major travel disruptions. Nearly 1,400 flights operating in and out of Shanghai’s two main passenger airports were cancelled on Sunday, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV. Another 270 inbound and outbound flights were cancelled at Hangzhou Airport in neighbouring Zhejiang province.
Typhoon Dolphin has already made its presence felt across the region. Before moving toward China, the storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to Japan’s Okinawa, where seven people suffered minor injuries. Among those affected was a man aged over 100 who was reportedly knocked down by powerful gusts and injured his head after falling.
The impact on Okinawa also extended to essential services. By Sunday afternoon, approximately 5,290 households remained without electricity, according to Okinawa Electric Power.
Taiwan has also faced significant disruption from the storm. Dozens of ferry services were suspended, while more than 180 flights were cancelled as strong winds and heavy rainfall affected the northern part of the island.
China is now preparing for the storm’s arrival with extensive emergency measures. The National Meteorological Centre issued a red typhoon alert on Sunday morning, marking the most severe level in the country’s weather warning system.
Forecasters warned that parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could experience exceptionally heavy rainfall. Shanghai, along with parts of Fujian, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, is also expected to receive substantial rainfall through Monday afternoon.
Typhoon Dolphin is expected to make landfall late Sunday or early Monday, with Zhejiang or neighbouring Fujian province considered the most likely areas to be affected.
For communities in the storm’s projected path, preparation has already become a priority. In Fujian, nearly 99,000 people were relocated from areas considered at risk on Saturday evening, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
Authorities have also suspended services on more than 200 ferry routes across Zhejiang and Fujian. Offshore operations have been halted, while hundreds of construction vessels have been ordered back to port as officials work to reduce the risks associated with the approaching storm.
Some train services in affected areas were also suspended on Sunday as authorities placed passenger safety ahead of normal operations.
Once Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall, forecasters expect the system to gradually weaken as it moves northwest across eastern China. However, the combination of intense rainfall, strong winds and the possibility of flooding means authorities and residents remain on high alert.
The storm’s arrival comes just two weeks after Typhoon Noul struck southern Guangdong province. Chinese authorities described Noul at the time as the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.
Before reaching China, Typhoon Noul killed three people and damaged hundreds of homes in the Philippines.
Typhoon Dolphin is now putting millions of people across eastern China on alert, with authorities focusing on evacuations, transportation disruptions, emergency preparedness and the protection of communities in vulnerable areas.
As the storm moves closer to land, the situation remains closely watched, with residents, travellers and emergency teams preparing for potentially dangerous weather conditions. — AFP
