China evacuated approximately 500,000 people and canceled more than 1,600 flights as Typhoon Dolphin approached the eastern coast on August 9, 2026. The storm is set to arrive in China overnight on Sunday and into Monday with sustained winds of up to 162km/h (101mph).

National authorities in China declared a level III emergency response as the typhoon neared the coastline. China's National Meteorological Center issued a red typhoon alert on Sunday morning to warn residents of the impending severe weather.

Authorities in Zhejiang evacuated about 390,000 people in the city of Taizhou on Saturday evening. In Fujian province, approximately 99,000 people were relocated from risky areas on Saturday evening. Authorities in Shanghai relocated more than 30,000 people from riskier areas, while other reports indicated that authorities relocated some 300,000 people in surrounding regions of Shanghai.

Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled nearly 1,400 flights on Sunday. Airlines also canceled 270 inbound and outbound flights at Hangzhou’s airport in Zhejiang province. Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang said it would stop operations from 23:30 local time on Saturday and suspend all flights on Sunday.

Services on more than 200 ferry routes were suspended in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, including 162 passenger ferry routes specifically suspended by Zhejiang authorities. Shanghai’s Yangshan port was cleared of vessels in preparation for the storm.

Authorities in the city of Ningbo ordered schools and other educational facilities to shut this weekend and all water-related activities to halt. Authorities in eastern China shut schools and tourist sites on Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin approached. Zhejiang raised its coastal typhoon alert to its highest level.

Some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta will be suspended from Sunday. China ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to heed its traffic control instructions.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters upgraded the flood and typhoon prevention emergency response for Zhejiang and Fujian from Level IV to Level III. The Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level IV national geological disaster emergency response for Zhejiang and Fujian.

The National Meteorological Center forecast extraordinary torrential rain in some areas of central and eastern Zhejiang, bringing 250mm to 500mm of rainfall. Torrential rain is expected through Monday across Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu. Typhoon Dolphin is forecast to weaken to the equivalent of Category 1 strength before making landfall in Zhejiang Province, China, by Monday morning.

The outer bands of Typhoon Dolphin hit northern Taiwan, including Taipei, starting Saturday. Dozens of ferry services were suspended in northern Taiwan due to the storm. More than 180 flights were canceled in northern Taiwan on Sunday due to Typhoon Dolphin. Taiwan canceled 63 international flights due to the approaching system.

Typhoon Dolphin swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture over the weekend, injuring seven people. Five elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa due to Typhoon Dolphin, while three men in their 70s were slightly injured. The typhoon cut off electricity for 5,290 households in Okinawa by Sunday afternoon, according to Okinawa Electric Power Company.

Trees were toppled by strong winds throughout Nago city in Okinawa. A car was found overturned and leaking oil in a parking lot in Nago city, Okinawa. Naha Airport on Okinawa Island closed on Friday, cancelling all domestic and international flights. 240 people had taken shelter at evacuation centers across Okinawa as of midday Friday.

Typhoon Dolphin emerged as a tropical depression on July 26. It strengthened to a very strong typhoon on July 28. Typhoon Dolphin passed the Ogasawara Islands on Tuesday.

The storm was expected to make landfall on Japan’s Okinawa Island on Friday morning. Typhoon Dolphin was named after Hong Kong’s Chinese white dolphins by the Typhoon Committee at the World Meteorological Organization.

Why It Matters

The evacuation of approximately 500,000 people and cancellation of over 1,600 flights across China, Taiwan, and Japan reflects the extensive regional disruption caused by Typhoon Dolphin. With sustained winds reaching 162km/h and forecasts of up to 500mm of rainfall, the storm poses significant risks to infrastructure and public safety in densely populated coastal areas. The activation of emergency responses and suspension of essential transport networks reflect the immediate stakes for residents and travelers throughout East Asia.