FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – Typhoon Dolphin forced about 167,900 people to leave vulnerable areas in Fujian Province as severe weather spread across eastern China. Authorities completed the Fujian evacuations by 7 a.m. Monday, covering coastal and inland communities exposed to flooding and strong winds. Shanghai separately moved about 215,600 residents from high-risk locations by late Sunday. Dolphin struck neighboring Zhejiang Province before pushing inland and weakening over central China.
Fujian officials suspended 686 road passenger routes and 658 train services as the storm disrupted travel across the province. Authorities also closed 234 major tourist attractions and canceled dozens of cultural and tourism activities. Shanghai faced extensive transport disruption, including more than 900 canceled flights at its two main airports on Monday. Floodwater affected several parts of the city and interrupted public transportation as heavy rain continued across the Yangtze River Delta and nearby coastal areas.
Dolphin became the 13th typhoon to affect China in 2026 and reached Zhejiang on Sunday with powerful winds. The storm made landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou at about 5:30 p.m. Local measurements showed maximum winds near 42 meters per second, equal to roughly 151 kilometers per hour. Dolphin later made another Zhejiang landfall before moving farther inland. Its broad circulation carried intense rainfall into Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and surrounding provinces.
Dolphin moves inland after coastal impact
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province and weakened to tropical-storm strength. The National Meteorological Center kept a blue typhoon warning in place as the system continued moving west-northwest. Maximum winds near the storm center had dropped to 18 meters per second. Central pressure stood at 995 hectopascals. Dolphin was traveling at about 15 kilometers per hour while its rain bands continued affecting large areas beyond the original landfall zone.
China expanded its flood response as rainfall shifted toward central and northern regions. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei and Shandong. Officials maintained a Level III response in Zhejiang because of continuing river and flood risks. Central authorities also allocated 120 million yuan to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian and Jiangxi for rescue work, temporary shelter, hazard removal, safety inspections and repairs to damaged homes.
Heavy rain threat spreads across regions
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday showed heavy rain extending across eastern, central and northern China. Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong and Hebei remained among the affected areas. Beijing and Tianjin also faced periods of heavy rainfall. Forecast totals reached 250 to 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Strong winds continued across parts of the eastern coast, nearby seas, the Yangtze River estuary and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities continued watching rivers, mountain districts and low-lying communities as Dolphin moved deeper inland. The reported 167,900 evacuations apply specifically to Fujian Province and do not represent the full eastern China total. Shanghai reported more than 215,000 precautionary relocations, while Zhejiang also moved large numbers of residents before landfall. Dolphin had lost much of its coastal strength by Tuesday morning, but its remaining circulation continued producing heavy rain across several provinces in central and eastern China.
