Over One Million Evacuated in Eastern China as Powerful Typhoon Dolphin Makes Landfall

BEIJING — Chinese authorities have evacuated more than a million residents from high-risk areas across eastern China, including major metropolitan hubs like Shanghai, as Typhoon Dolphin slammed into the coast with ferocious winds and torrential rainfall.

The powerful storm made its initial landfall near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province, packing maximum sustained winds of roughly 150 km/h (94 mph), before slamming into the nearby city of Wenzhou just an hour later. Meteorological agencies reported that Dolphin is one of the most intense tropical cyclones to strike the region this year, triggering widespread transportation halts and emergency alerts.

Widespread Transport and Infrastructure Disruptions

In Shanghai alone, approximately 1,400 flights were grounded, and maritime authorities cleared ships from berths at Yangshan port, relocating hundreds of smaller vessels to safety. Key outdoor attractions—including sections of local theme parks and scenic viewing platforms along the Bund—were shut down as floodwaters began inundating low-lying areas, such as parts of the former French Concession.

In neighboring Zhejiang, the city of Wenzhou alone relocated over 900,000 residents and opened more than a thousand emergency shelters. Authorities in Fujian province also escalated emergency responses, moving nearly 100,000 people out of harm's way as coastal ferry routes and offshore construction projects were entirely suspended.

Torrential Rains and Continuing Threats

Although Chinese meteorological authorities downgraded the system from a red-alert typhoon to a tropical storm, officials warn that the danger is far from over. The slow-moving system is currently tracking inland, bringing heavy downpours across the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Shandong, and Hubei, as well as Shanghai.

Forecasters predict cumulative rainfall totals reaching up to 500mm in parts of Zhejiang, significantly heightening the risk of severe urban flooding, river overflows, and deadly landslides in mountainous terrain. Local governments have urged residents to remain indoors, while emergency rescue personnel and flood-control teams remain stationed on high alert across the affected eastern seaboard.