Typhoon Dolphin Heads Towards China After Hitting Japan, Schools And Ports Shut

Typhoon Dolphin has battered Japan and is now racing towards eastern China, where authorities are shutting schools, tourist sites and ports ahead of a dangerous mix of heavy rain, powerful winds and flooding.

Dolphin hit Japan’s southern islands with winds of 162 kmph and gusts of up to 216 kmph. Six people were injured. More than 50,000 buildings lost power in Okinawa and Kagoshima, including nearly 39,000 in Kagoshima and more than 12,000 in Okinawa. ANA and Japan Airlines cancelled flights to and from Okinawa.

Now, China is preparing for the storm’s arrival between late Sunday and early Monday. Forecasters expect the dolphin to make landfall somewhere between Zhoushan in Zhejiang and Fuding in Fujian. Shanghai is also in its path.

China has placed Dolphin under an orange typhoon warning, the country’s second-highest level, and raised its emergency response to Level III. Authorities have issued five weather and disaster warnings, including orange alerts for heavy rain and geological disasters and a red alert for mountain torrents.

The biggest worry is the rain. The Dolphin could dump 200 to 400 mm of rain on parts of eastern China in the coming days. That much water can quickly overwhelm drains and rivers, causing flash floods, flooded roads, landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure. Some parts of Zhejiang could receive more than 600 mm. Rainfall could cross 80 mm in just one hour in some areas.

The danger becomes even greater along the coast. Waves near Zhejiang could rise to 8 metres, creating rough seas and putting coastal areas and ships at risk.

China has already moved into action. Zhejiang has stopped port operations and suspended 162 passenger ferry routes. Tourist attractions and water activities have also been shut. Ningbo has closed schools and other educational facilities. Around 800 ships are docked at its port.

Ningbo Lishe International Airport will stop operations from Saturday night and suspend flights on Sunday. Shanghai’s Yangshan port has cleared ships, while some train services in the Yangtze River Delta will also be suspended.

Dolphin comes just weeks after Typhoon Bavi, which caused a major disruption in China. Bavi made two landfalls in Zhejiang and became the strongest July typhoon to hit the province since 1949. More than 1.7 million people were evacuated across China as Bavi approached, while more than 260,000 people were moved to safety in Liaoning alone.

Bavi also pushed deep inland and raised fears of flash floods, landslides and urban flooding. Dolphin is now bringing another major rain threat to the same broad region. Its forecast rainfall of 200 to 400 mm means roads could flood, rivers could rise quickly and landslides could hit vulnerable areas if the rain falls over a short period.

Taiwan has cancelled 78 flights because of Dolphin. Heavy rain is expected in the north, though no evacuations had been ordered as of Saturday.

China has also told ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to follow its traffic-control instructions. Taiwan called the move “ridiculous” and said Beijing had no right to control shipping in international waters.

Dolphin formed from a tropical depression on July 26 and travelled thousands of kilometres across the Pacific before strengthening into a typhoon. Eastern China could continue to see rain and strong winds through August 12.