Typhoon Dolphin has made landfall in China's eastern Zhejiang province, marking what meteorologists describe as the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit the region this year.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the storm reached the coast near Yuhuan city on Sunday, with wind speeds at its center reaching 151 kilometers per hour.
In response to the severe weather threat, authorities have evacuated more than one million people across eastern China. Officials have relocated residents from high-risk areas to safety, ordered vessels to return to port, and intensified monitoring of reservoirs, mountain rivers, and regions prone to landslides.
In Wenzhou, over 900,000 residents have been evacuated, with more than 1,000 temporary shelters established to accommodate them. In Shanghai, at least 30,300 people have been relocated, and approximately 1,500 flights have been canceled. Meanwhile, in Fujian province, nearly 99,000 individuals have been moved from hazardous zones.
Meteorologists forecast that heavy rainfall will continue through August 10 in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and surrounding areas, with precipitation levels expected to reach 250-500 millimeters in some regions.
The intense rainfall poses significant risks, including rising river levels, flash flooding, and landslides. A state of emergency remains in effect across Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Fujian provinces as recovery and mitigation efforts continue.
China is frequently impacted by typhoons during the summer and autumn months. These weather events often necessitate massive logistical operations, as the country's densely populated coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to the storm surges and torrential rains that accompany such cyclones.
