Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, has made landfall on the country’s east coast. The storm has brought torrential rain and strong winds, triggering warnings of flooding and landslides.
Dolphin made landfall near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at about 5:30pm (0930 GMT) on Sunday, according to China’s meteorological authorities. It brought maximum sustained winds of 94mph (151 km/h) near its centre at landfall, equivalent to a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The storm had previously swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, where six people were injured and power was cut to over 50,000 buildings. In China, transport has been widely disrupted across the east of the country, and more than a million people have been evacuated from their homes.
Shanghai has cancelled approximately 1,500 flights, and authorities have moved offshore workers to safety and ordered vessels back to port. Torrential rain is forecast for Monday across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, north-eastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu. Parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250-500 mm (10-20 inches) of rain.
Dolphin is forecast to track westward before slowing over central and south-western China and gradually losing strength, which could prolong heavy rain and increase the risk of flooding and landslides.