More than one million people have been evacuated across eastern China after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in Zhejiang province, bringing powerful winds, torrential rain and widespread disruption.
The storm struck near Yuhuan at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of around 150km/h (94mph), according to Chinese meteorological authorities.
Dolphin later made a second landfall near Wenzhou, before moving further inland and gradually weakening.
The typhoon has disrupted transport across several parts of eastern China, with about 1,400 flights cancelled in Shanghai alone. Authorities have also suspended ferry services, moved vessels to sheltered waters and halted offshore construction activities as a precaution.
In Shanghai, more than 30,000 people were evacuated, while the city’s Yangshan port cleared ships from its berths and moved hundreds of smaller vessels to safety.
Wenzhou in Zhejiang province undertook a much larger evacuation, relocating more than 900,000 residents and opening over 1,000 emergency shelters.
Authorities in neighbouring Fujian province also evacuated nearly 99,000 people from areas considered vulnerable to the storm and suspended dozens of coastal passenger ferry routes.
Flood and landslide threats
Despite weakening after landfall, Dolphin continues to pose a serious threat as it moves inland.
Forecasters have warned of prolonged heavy rainfall across Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui, with some parts of central and eastern Zhejiang expected to receive between 9.8 and 19.7 inches of rain.
The heavy downpours have raised concerns over flooding, particularly along smaller rivers and in mountainous areas where landslides and flash floods are possible.
China’s water resources authorities have identified the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers as areas at risk of significant flooding, while residents in locations under red alerts for mountain torrents have been urged to comply with evacuation orders.
Several tourist attractions in Shanghai have also been closed, including parts of Disneyland and Legoland, while viewing platforms along the Bund have been shut.
The storm had earlier passed through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and more than 50,000 buildings lost power.
Chinese authorities have since lowered the typhoon warning level as Dolphin weakens, but officials continue to caution residents against unnecessary travel and outdoor activities as heavy rain, flooding and landslides remain a threat in parts of the country.
