Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on the eastern coast of China on Sunday, Aug. 9, bringing torrential rain and strong winds [1, 5].
The storm represents the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year [1, 2]. Its intensity triggered widespread flooding and increased the risk of landslides across multiple provinces, forcing the government to implement emergency safety measures.
Evacuations were widespread, though reports on the scale varied. One report said over 1 million people were evacuated [1], while other updates cited figures ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands [2, 3]. The most significant impact was felt in Zhejiang province, specifically in the cities of Yuhuan, Taizhou, Yueqing, and Wenzhou [1, 2, 4].
The storm's reach extended to Fujian province and the major hub of Shanghai [1, 2, 4]. In Shanghai, the weather caused significant disruptions to transportation and daily life [4]. Aviation authorities grounded nearly 950 flights in the city as the storm passed [2].
Local authorities focused on mitigating the effects of the heavy rainfall, which soaked the region and caused urban flooding [4]. The combination of high wind speeds and saturated ground created hazardous conditions for residents in the affected coastal zones [1, 2].
“Typhoon Dolphin was the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year.”
The scale of the evacuations and the disruption to one of the world's busiest aviation hubs in Shanghai highlight the vulnerability of China's eastern economic corridor to extreme weather. As the strongest storm of the year, Dolphin underscores the ongoing challenge of managing urban flooding and landslide risks in densely populated coastal provinces like Zhejiang.
