Typhoon Dolphin Slams China, Triggers Emergency Response and Mass Flight Cancellations
Typhoon Dolphin finally made landfall on China’s eastern coast on Sunday (09/08/2026). The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds, prompting authorities to prepare for the threat of flooding and landslides across much of the country’s eastern region.
Citing Channel News Asia on Monday (10/08/2026), Typhoon Dolphin had earlier swept through Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan. The deadly natural disaster was reported to have injured six people and cut off electricity to more than 50,000 buildings.
Before the storm made landfall in China, authorities had moved offshore workers to safety and ordered all ships to return to port. They also stepped up monitoring of reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites, and various tourist attractions.
China’s National Meteorological Centre forecast that the storm would last until Monday, with sustained wind speeds reaching 162 km/h before eventually weakening and moving inland. This strength is equivalent to a Category Two storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, capable of causing severe damage to homes, trees, and infrastructure.
Heavy rain is expected to continue until Monday across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and most of Jiangsu. Weather forecasters project that some parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive extraordinary rainfall of between 250 mm and 500 mm.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that nearly 1,400 inbound and outbound flights at Shanghai’s two main passenger airports were forced to be cancelled on Sunday. In the neighbouring province, Hangzhou airport in Zhejiang also recorded 270 flight cancellations due to the storm.
Singapore Airlines also cancelled eight of its flights to and from Shanghai on Sunday. The airline has rescheduled 10 inbound and outbound Shanghai flights for Monday and Tuesday.
Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, outlined the predicted path of the storm to CCTV.
“After landfall, Dolphin is expected to track westward before slowing over central and southwestern China and gradually losing its strength,” Wang explained.
The storm’s movement is considered likely to prolong the duration of heavy rainfall. This will directly increase the risk of flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along the courses of small rivers.
The Ministry of Water Resources said that the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao, and Shuiyang rivers have a high potential to experience severe flooding. Meanwhile, smaller rivers in the worst-affected areas are expected to overflow beyond warning levels.
The Chinese government is currently maintaining a Level III flood emergency response in Zhejiang and Fujian, as well as Level IV in Jiangsu and Anhui. China’s four-tier emergency system designates Level I as the most severe crisis category.
The Ministry of Emergency Management stated that it has dispatched various emergency assistance teams to Zhejiang and Fujian. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources has also established a Level III geological disaster response in Zhejiang and Level IV in Anhui.
The response designations serve as a stark warning of the danger of landslides and other natural disasters in eastern Zhejiang and western Anhui. Authorities have warned of a high risk of geological disasters in several parts of Zhejiang.
Residents in areas covered by the red warning for mountain flash flood danger have been instructed to immediately comply with local evacuation orders.
The city’s maritime safety administration stated that Yangshan Port in Shanghai has removed ships from its docks. More than 500 small and medium-sized vessels were recorded as having been moved to safe shelter before Typhoon Dolphin struck.