China evacuates one million from homes as massive storm arrives
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- Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in eastern China on Sunday evening, forcing evacuations of over one million people including residents of Shanghai, per meteorological authorities.
- Typhoon Dolphin packed maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (94 mph) when it first struck Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at 17:30 local time (09:30 GMT), making a second landfall in Wenzhou about an hour later.
- Chinese authorities issued their highest-level red alert ahead of the storm but downgraded it to a tropical storm by Monday morning as the system weakened while moving inland.
- Shanghai aviation was paralyzed with 1,400 flights cancelled as the typhoon halted regional transportation networks.
- Forecasters warned of torrential rain, severe flooding, and landslide risk through Wednesday, with heavy rain expected across Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai.
- Tourist attractions including parts of Shanghai Disneyland, Legoland, and viewing platforms along the Bund were closed, with local governments urging residents to avoid outdoor activities.
Why it matters: Over one million people displaced across one of China's most densely populated economic corridors, with 1,400 flights grounded in Shanghai alone, shows the scale of disruption Typhoon Dolphin inflicted within hours of landfall. With landslide and flood warnings extending through Wednesday and major tourist sites shuttered, the cascading closures—from theme parks to the Bund—reveal how even a weakening tropical storm can paralyze commerce and daily life across the Yangtze River Delta region.
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