FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – As severe weather conditions swept through eastern China, approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province were evacuated from vulnerable zones due to Typhoon Dolphin. The provincial government completed these evacuations by 7 a.m. Monday, relocating communities both along the coast and inland that faced risks of flooding and strong winds. Meanwhile, Shanghai moved roughly 215,600 residents from high-risk areas by late Sunday. Dolphin initially impacted neighboring Zhejiang Province before progressing inland and weakening over central China.
Travel disruptions occurred throughout Fujian, with authorities suspending 686 passenger routes and 658 train services due to the storm’s interference. In addition, 234 major tourist sites were closed, and numerous cultural and tourism events were canceled. The storm caused widespread transportation disruptions in Shanghai, including over 900 canceled flights at its two main airports on Monday. Floodwaters affected several city districts, and public transit services were interrupted as heavy rainfall persisted across the Yangtze River Delta and neighboring coastal zones.
Typhoon Dolphin became the 13th typhoon to affect China in 2026, making landfall in Zhejiang on Sunday with strong winds. The storm hit near Yuhuan in Taizhou around 5:30 p.m., with local measurements indicating maximum winds of approximately 42 meters per second, equivalent to roughly 151 kilometers per hour. Subsequently, Dolphin made another landfall in Zhejiang before advancing further inland. Its broad circulation delivered intense rainfall to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and surrounding areas.
Dolphin Moves Further Inland After Coastal Impact
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, the storm had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province and weakened to tropical-storm strength. The National Meteorological Center maintained a blue typhoon warning as the system continued its west-northwest trajectory. Wind speeds near the storm’s core had decreased to 18 meters per second, with a central pressure of 995 hectopascals. Dolphin traveled at about 15 kilometers per hour, with rain bands still affecting large regions beyond the initial landfall zone.
Flood response measures expanded as rainfall shifted toward central and northern China. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. Meanwhile, Zhejiang maintained a Level III alert due to ongoing river and flood hazards. Central authorities allocated 120 million yuan to support rescue efforts, emergency shelters, hazard mitigation, safety inspections, and repairs in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi.
Intense Rainfall Continues Across Multiple Regions
Forecasts from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday predict heavy rain spreading across eastern, central, and northern China. Areas including Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei remain under threat. Beijing and Tianjin are also expected to experience periods of heavy rainfall. Total rainfall in some southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan could reach 250 to 350 millimeters. Heavy winds persisted along the eastern coast, adjacent seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities continued monitoring rivers, mountainous districts, and low-lying communities as Dolphin moved further inland. The 167,900 evacuations reported are specific to Fujian Province and do not account for the entire eastern China region. Shanghai also reported over 215,000 precautionary relocations, with Zhejiang evacuating a large number of residents before the storm’s landfall. Although Dolphin had lost much of its coastal strength by Tuesday morning, its remaining circulation kept producing heavy rainfall across several provinces in central and eastern China.