Typhoon Dolphin forces 1.5M evacuations in eastern China

More than 1.5 million people have been evacuated across eastern China as Typhoon Dolphin — the strongest storm to hit the country this year — made landfall in Zhejiang province with maximum winds of 150 kilometers per hour, local media reported on Monday. Officials relocated approximately 900,000 residents in Wenzhou and 390,000 in Taizhou, both located in Zhejiang province, while Shanghai authorities moved roughly 215,000 people from vulnerable areas ahead of the storm's arrival.

Transport chaos hits major hubs

Aviation operations ground to a halt across the region as Shanghai's Pudong International and Hongqiao airports canceled more than 1,000 flights on Monday alone, while the city suspended four metro routes and closed the Donghai Bridge along with dozens of flooded underpasses. Maritime authorities in Taizhou ordered 3,815 fishing vessels to take shelter and suspended all 18 passenger ferry routes, according to China Daily, as coastal railways and shipping lanes faced severe disruption throughout the affected areas.

Severe flooding warnings issued

Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, initially struck Yuhuan in Zhejiang with winds of 150 kilometers per hour before making a second landfall in Wenzhou approximately one hour later, subsequently weakening into a tropical storm as it moved northward. Meteorological agencies warned that parts of Zhejiang could receive between 250 and 500 millimeters of rainfall in coming days, raising fears of widespread flooding and landslides, while authorities confirmed that a 9-year-old boy was reported missing after being swept into the sea — though no fatalities have been officially recorded.