Chinese authorities issued their highest-level typhoon warning on Sunday as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall along the eastern coast [1].
The storm represents the strongest tropical cyclone to hit China this year, bringing a high risk of flooding and torrential rain to densely populated regions [1, 2].
The National Meteorological Center and Zhejiang provincial officials triggered the red alert to manage the impact in Yuhuan County, Taizhou, and Shanghai [1, 3]. To mitigate the risk of casualties, authorities evacuated more than 1 million people from high-risk coastal areas [3].
Transportation networks faced significant disruptions. In Shanghai, airports cancelled 1,300 flights [1, 4], though some reports indicate the number of cancellations exceeded 1,000 [2].
Zhejiang province bore the brunt of the initial impact. Local officials coordinated the mass movement of residents away from the shoreline as the cyclone brought strong winds and heavy precipitation [3].
Shanghai also prepared for the storm's arrival. The city's aviation hubs grounded aircraft to ensure safety amid the deteriorating weather conditions [1, 2].
“Typhoon Dolphin is the strongest tropical cyclone to hit China this year.”
The scale of the evacuations and the immediate issuance of a red alert underscore the severity of Typhoon Dolphin compared to previous storms this season. The disruption of air travel in Shanghai and the mass displacement in Zhejiang highlight the vulnerability of China's eastern economic hubs to intensifying tropical cyclones.
