Typhoon Dolphin Barrels Toward China's Coast
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- Typhoon Dolphin is set to make landfall on China's east coast overnight Aug 9 with sustained winds up to 162 km/h — equivalent to a Category 2 storm — as the National Meteorological Centre warned of torrential rain, flooding, and landslides.
- Authorities moved offshore workers to safety, ordered vessels back to port, and increased checks at reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites, and tourist locations across the storm's path.
- Parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250–500mm of rain, with heavy downpours forecast through August 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu.
- The water resources ministry flagged the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao, and Shuiyang rivers for major flooding, while China maintained a Level III flood emergency response in Zhejiang and Fujian and Level IV in Jiangsu and Anhui.
- Shanghai's Yangshan port cleared all berths and moved more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to shelter ahead of the storm, according to the city's maritime safety administration.
- Before reaching China, Typhoon Dolphin swept through Japan's Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.
- Chief forecaster Wang Haiping told CCTV that Dolphin is expected to slow over central and southwestern China after landfall, which could prolong heavy rain and raise flooding risks in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.
Why it matters: Seven provinces and municipalities face 250–500mm rainfall, Category 2-force winds, and named river flooding within a 48-hour window, with Shanghai's Yangshan port — a critical shipping hub — already evacuated. The storm's forecast to slow over inland China means flooding risks won't end at landfall but could intensify as smaller rivers overflow in mountainous terrain.
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