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Typhoon Dolphin disrupts travel
Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at about 5:30pm (0930 GMT) on Sunday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides.
“made landfall near Yuhuan in eastern Zhejiang province at about 5:30 p.m. (0930 GMT) on Sunday”
The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 42 metres per second (151 km/h) near its centre at landfall, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, and authorities moved offshore workers to safety and ordered vessels back to port.
Transport was widely disrupted across the east of the country, and more than a million people were evacuated from their homes as the cyclone moved inland.
In Shanghai, the storm led to cancellations of about 1,500 flights, while a 42-year-old tourist from Guangdong, surnamed Chen, said he was stranded after his family’s flight scheduled to depart on Sunday was cancelled.
Reuters also said Dolphin had already swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.
Tourists describe cancellations
As Dolphin’s outer bands pushed into densely populated areas, Shanghai evacuated at least 30,300 people and cancelled about 1,400 flights, while Zhejiang’s Wenzhou relocated more than 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters.
The Guardian quoted a 42-year-old tourist from Guangdong, surnamed Chen, saying, “To us Guangdong people, this typhoon is as ordinary as having a meal and feeling the wind.”
Chen added that the storm did not appear particularly strong by the standards of China’s southern coast, and he said his family had been rebooked on a flight at 10pm on Monday although they were unsure whether it would be able to take off.
Al Jazeera said authorities warned of severe flooding and landslide risks as the storm moved inland and continued to bring heavy rain to densely populated areas of eastern China.
Al Jazeera also reported that authorities moved offshore workers to safety and stepped up inspections of reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist locations.
What’s next for tourism
Beyond immediate evacuations, authorities increased checks at reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist locations as Dolphin was forecast to track westward before slowing over central and south-western China and gradually losing strength.
“Authorities moved offshore workers to safety, ordered vessels back to port and increased checks at reservoirs”
Forecasters said torrential rain was forecast for Monday across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu, with parts of central and eastern Zhejiang potentially receiving 250-500 mm (10-20 inches) of rain.
The Guardian said Wang Haiping, the chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, told CCTV that the slower movement could prolong heavy rain and increase the risk of flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.
In Fujian, authorities evacuated 98,900 people from high-risk areas and Fujian maritime authorities suspended 55 coastal passenger ferry routes, halted 115 offshore construction projects and moved 290 construction vessels to sheltered waters.
Reuters said the storm’s impact included warnings of flooding and landslides through August 10, with parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250-500 mm (9.8-19.7 inches) of rain.
