Typhoon Dolphin is expected to make landfall along China’s eastern coast on Sunday night, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds that could trigger flooding and landslides across several provinces.
The storm had earlier swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and more than 50,000 buildings were left without power.
Ahead of Dolphin’s arrival, Chinese authorities stepped up preparations by moving offshore workers to safer areas, ordering vessels to return to port and increasing inspections at reservoirs, mountain streams, construction sites and locations vulnerable to landslides.
China’s National Meteorological Centre said the typhoon was expected to reach the coast between Sunday evening and Monday, with sustained winds of up to 162kph before gradually weakening as it moves inland.
The storm’s strength is equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane under the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds capable of causing significant damage to trees, homes and infrastructure.
Heavy rainfall is forecast through Aug 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, as well as large parts of Jiangsu.
Forecasters warned that central and eastern Zhejiang could receive between 250mm and 500mm of rain, raising concerns over flash floods and landslides.
After making landfall, Dolphin is expected to move westward before slowing over central and southwestern China. The prolonged movement could cause heavy rain to persist, particularly in mountainous regions and around smaller rivers.
The Ministry of Water Resources warned that the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers could experience major flooding, while smaller rivers in the worst-affected areas could rise above warning levels.
China has activated a Level III flood emergency response in Zhejiang and Fujian, while Jiangsu and Anhui remain under a Level IV response. The country’s four-tier emergency system ranks Level I as the most severe.
Authorities have also raised geological disaster responses in affected areas, with Zhejiang placed under Level III and Anhui under Level IV.
Residents in parts of Zhejiang have been warned of a high risk of geological disasters, while people living in areas covered by red mountain-torrent warnings have been urged to follow evacuation instructions issued by local authorities.
In Shanghai, the Yangshan port cleared vessels from its berths and moved more than 500 small and medium-sized boats to designated shelters as the city prepared for the typhoon.
The latest preparations reflect the potentially wide-ranging impact of Dolphin, with authorities closely monitoring rainfall, river levels and unstable slopes as the storm approaches the Chinese mainland.
