Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in China’s Zhejiang province, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate as flights were grounded and flood risks intensified.
Typhoon Dolphin officially made landfall on the eastern coastline of China on Sunday evening, delivering a powerful combination of destructive winds, torrential rainfall, and surging coastal waves. The storm system struck the Taizhou region in Zhejiang province with significant force, while also impacting northern sectors of the neighboring Fujian province. Meteorological assessments at the time of landfall estimated sustained wind speeds reaching approximately 151 kilometers per hour, or roughly 93 miles per hour, classifying it as a formidable weather event capable of causing extensive structural damage.
Forecasters from the national weather services have issued dire warnings regarding the cumulative rainfall expected in the aftermath of the storm. Certain districts within Zhejiang province are projected to receive between 200 and 400 millimeters of precipitation over the coming days. This high volume of water poses a severe threat to local infrastructure, specifically heightening the danger of flash flooding in urban environments and catastrophic landslides in the mountainous and rural regions surrounding the coast.
In response to the imminent threat posed s to protect the populace. Approximately 390,000 residents were relocated from high-risk zones in Taizhou, while an additional 30,000 individuals were moved out of vulnerable areas in the city of Shanghai. These preemptive measures were deemed necessary to minimize casualties as the storm system moved inland, bringing with it the potential for widespread power outages and the destruction of residential property.
The transportation sector faced immediate paralysis as the typhoon approached. All ferry services and cruise ship operations throughout Zhejiang province were suspended to prevent maritime disasters. In Shanghai, the city's two primary transit hubs, Hongqiao and Pudong airports, were forced to cancel roughly 60 percent of their scheduled flight traffic. The sheer volume of flight cancellations—totaling more than 1,300—highlights the significant disruption to international and domestic travel routes across the region.
Before impacting the Chinese mainland, the outer bands of Typhoon Dolphin caused significant weather instability in northern Taiwan. On Saturday, the island experienced intense rainfall, particularly in the capital city of Taipei. The hazardous conditions necessitated the cancellation of numerous China-bound airline services, creating a ripple effect of travel delays that extended well beyond the immediate path of the typhoon.
The storm's path has also left a trail of destruction in the Philippines, where it interacted with seasonal monsoon patterns to exacerbate existing weather-related risks. Intense rainfall triggered flooding and landslides across the northern region of Luzon. In the city of Baguio, a devastating landslide buried three residential homes, leading to a major search and rescue operation. While five individuals were successfully recovered, seven remain missing, underscoring the tragic human toll of the typhoon's progression through Southeast Asia.
The Chinese government has mobilized emergency response teams to manage the ongoing crisis, focusing on disaster relief and long-term stabilization of the affected provinces. As the storm moves further inland, the primary focus remains on monitoring water levels in river basins and maintaining the integrity of soil in landslide-prone mountainous zones. The combination of high winds and saturated ground conditions creates a volatile landscape for rescue crews attempting to reach isolated villages.
Climate experts note that the intensity of such storms serves as a reminder of the increasing volatility in regional weather patterns. As emergency crews work to restore power and clear transportation arteries, the focus will soon shift to assessing the economic impact of the damage. For now, authorities urge residents to remain in designated shelters and follow official guidance until the storm system has fully dissipated and floodwaters have receded to safe levels.