China evacuates over 1 million as Typhoon Dolphin hits

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast on Sunday, forcing more than 1 million people to evacuate and bringing torrential rain, strong winds and heightened risks of flooding and landslides.

China’s meteorological authorities said the typhoon came ashore near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at about 5.30pm on August 9. It was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike China so far this year.

Maximum sustained winds near the centre reached 42 metres per second, or 151 kilometres per hour, at landfall, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Authorities moved offshore workers to safer areas, ordered vessels back to port and stepped up inspections of reservoirs, mountain streams, construction sites, tourist areas and locations considered vulnerable to landslides.

Up to 500mm of rain forecast in Zhejiang

Heavy rain is forecast through August 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui and much of Jiangsu.

Forecasters said central and eastern parts of Zhejiang could receive between 250 and 500 millimetres of rain.

Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, said Dolphin was expected to move westwards after landfall before slowing over central and southwestern China and gradually weakening.

The slower movement could prolong rainfall and increase the danger of floods and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.

China’s water resources ministry 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.

Authorities also warned of a high risk of geological disasters in parts of Zhejiang. Residents in areas under the highest mountain-torrent warning were told to follow local evacuation orders.

Mass evacuations and transport disruption

Transport services were heavily disrupted across eastern China as authorities moved more than 1 million people away from threatened areas.

Shanghai evacuated at least 30,300 residents and cancelled about 1,500 flights, according to flight-tracking provider VariFlight.

One tourist from Guangdong told Reuters that his family had been stranded in Shanghai after their Sunday flight was cancelled. They were rebooked for Monday night but remained uncertain whether the replacement flight would operate.

In neighbouring Zhejiang, Wenzhou relocated more than 900,000 residents and opened over 1,000 emergency shelters.

Fujian authorities evacuated 98,900 people from high-risk areas after raising the province’s typhoon emergency response to Level III. Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu also activated Level III responses.

Fujian maritime authorities reported that:

• 55 coastal passenger ferry routes were suspended.
• All 115 offshore construction projects were halted.
• 290 construction vessels were moved to sheltered waters.

Shanghai’s Yangshan port also cleared vessels from its berths and moved more than 500 small and medium-sized boats to shelter before the storm arrived.

Dolphin previously swept through Okinawa

Before reaching China, Dolphin passed through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and more than 50,000 buildings lost power.

Chinese authorities are continuing to monitor rainfall, rivers and areas at risk of landslides as Dolphin moves inland and gradually loses strength.