Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan; Million people evacuate across eastern China

Beijing/Shanghai:- More than a million people were evacuated across eastern China, including Shanghai, after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on Sunday, bringing transport services across the region to a halt and raising fears of flooding and landslides.

Dolphin first struck Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at 5.30pm local time, with maximum wind speeds of 150kmph, meteorological authorities said. It made a second landfall in the city of Wenzhou about an hour later.

The storm caused widespread travel disruption, with 1,400 flights cancelled in Shanghai alone. Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province, said it relocated more than 900,000 people and opened more than 1,500 emergency shelters.

In neighbouring Fujian, 98,900 people were moved from high-risk areas. In Shanghai, 215,600 people were moved from areas considered at risk by Sunday evening, substantially higher than an earlier figure of 30,300. A weather station in the city centre recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall in more than 150 years.

Forecasters in China predicted some areas could see 200-400mm (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall over the coming days.
The storm is moving inland within China, and authorities are still warning of torrential rains, severe flooding and the risk of landslides through to Wednesday.

Heavy rain was forecast on Monday for the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and the city of Shanghai.
Before making landfall in China, Typhoon Dolphin has battered the Okinawa island with heavy rainfall along with thunderstorm and gushing winds up to 250 kilometres per hour.

Typhoon Dolphin has cut power to at least 44,000 buildings and injured at least five people after hitting Japan’s Okinawa island on Saturday.
Flights to and from Okinawa’s main airport, Naha International Airport, were cancelled as it closed on Friday as the storm arrived.

The storm had maximum wind speeds of 162km/h (101mph) on Saturday and has been categorised as a “very strong” typhoon by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which warned of high waves, storm surges and lightning strikes.