Typhoon Dolphin Strikes Eastern China
Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest tropical cyclone to strike China this year, made dual landfalls along Zhejiang’s densely populated coastline late on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of more than one million people, grounding thousands of flights and leaving residual flooding across eastern provinces as the system weakened into a tropical storm by Monday morning.
The storm’s centre first came ashore near Kanmen subdistrict in Yuhuan, Taizhou, at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time with maximum sustained winds of about 150–151 km/h, equivalent to Force 14. 70 minutes later it made a second landfall in the Yueqing area of Wenzhou. Chinese meteorological authorities had issued a rare red typhoon alert, the highest level, before the arrival. Coastal cities including Wenzhou, Taizhou and Ningbo activated Level I emergency responses, while Shanghai and parts of Fujian raised readiness levels accordingly. Fishing fleets were ordered to port, ferry services suspended, offshore construction halted and tourist sites closed.
Authorities conducted extensive preemptive evacuations, with Wenzhou relocating more than 900,000 residents and opening over 1,000 emergency shelters. Taizhou moved around 390,000 people. Fujian province evacuated nearly 99,000 from high-risk zones, and Shanghai shifted tens of thousands from vulnerable areas, with overall numbers exceeding one million across the affected region.
Emergency supplies were delivered to offshore islands amid high waves, and Hangzhou waived public parking fees to assist residents seeking safer locations. Officials inspected reservoirs, landslide-prone slopes and construction sites in advance.
Transport networks suffered widespread disruption. Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao airports cancelled roughly 1,300 to 1,500 flights on Sunday, accounting for nearly 60 percent of scheduled services, with additional cancellations continuing into Monday. Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport grounded several hundred flights. Rail services and local public transport faced suspensions in multiple cities, while ports including Shanghai’s Yangshan cleared vessels and sheltered hundreds of boats.
By Monday, residual heavy rain flooded streets in Shanghai’s suburban districts and parts of the city centre, including areas of the former French Concession, where residents waded through ankle – to knee-deep water. Zhejiang reported vehicles overturned by high winds and strain on infrastructure and forecasters warned that central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250 – 500 mm of rain over several days, elevating risks of severe flooding and landslides through at least Wednesday. The storm’s large circulation continued to affect eastern and central China as it moved inland and northward.
Chinese officials reported no confirmed fatalities. State media noted that a nine-year-old boy from Wenling, Zhejiang, remained missing after being swept into the sea and authorities detained individuals for circulating unverified information about the storm’s impacts.
Dolphin stood out for its unusual longevity and track. Forming far near the International Date Line as the 13th named storm of 2026, it travelled more than 6,000 kilometres while sustaining high intensity for an extended period before reaching China. It earlier brushed Japan’s Okinawa prefecture, injuring several people and leaving tens of thousands without power. Meteorologists attributed the broad impact zone – stretching across Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and beyond – to the system’s expansive rain bands and sustained strength.
As the weakened system continues inland, the primary ongoing threat remains heavy rainfall and associated flooding and landslide risks. Recovery and damage assessments have begun in coastal Zhejiang while authorities urge residents in affected areas to avoid flooded roads, remain cautious and follow official guidance.
