FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – Typhoon Dolphin prompted the evacuation of approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province as intense rainfall and floods spread throughout eastern China. By 7 a.m. on Monday, the residents of Fujian had been relocated from vulnerable areas along the coast and low-lying land. In a separate effort, Shanghai evacuated around 215,600 people from zones deemed at risk by late Sunday. Dolphin made landfall twice in Zhejiang Province on Sunday before progressing inland and gradually weakening.
During the storm, authorities in Fujian suspended 686 passenger bus routes and 658 train services. Additionally, 234 key tourist destinations were closed, and numerous cultural and tourism events were canceled. In Shanghai, more than 900 flights were canceled at the city’s two primary airports on Monday. The heavy rains caused localized flooding and disrupted public transit, all following widespread weather advisories issued for coastal zones exposed to Dolphin’s winds and precipitation.
Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, made landfall in Zhejiang with strong winds on Sunday, arriving near Yuhuan in Taizhou around 5:30 p.m. with peak winds reaching 42 meters per second, which is approximately 151 kilometers per hour. The storm then struck Zhejiang again before heading further inland. Its large circulation pattern brought heavy rainfall across Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and neighboring regions in eastern China as the storm’s strength declined.
Storm Loses Intensity Following Zhejiang Landfalls
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin’s eye had reached Huanggang in central China’s Hubei Province. The National Meteorological Center categorized the system as a tropical storm and maintained a blue typhoon warning. Its outer circulation continued to produce maximum winds of 18 meters per second, with the storm’s central pressure recorded at 995 hectopascals. Moving west-northwest at roughly 15 kilometers per hour, Dolphin continued to generate heavy rains across several provinces, extending well beyond its initial coastal landfall zone.
On Monday, the Ministry of Water Resources issued a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong, while maintaining a Level III alert in Zhejiang as officials monitored river conditions and flash flood risks. To support relief efforts, authorities allocated 120 million yuan for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi. These funds are designated for rescue operations, emergency shelters, hazard removal, safety checks, and repairs for homes damaged by flooding and the typhoon.
Inland Flood Control Measures Are Expanded
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday predict heavy rainfall across a wide swath of eastern and central China. The affected regions include Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei. Both Beijing and Tianjin remain within the zones expected to experience intense rain. Rainfall totals are projected to reach between 250 and 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Meanwhile, strong wind conditions persisted along sections of the eastern coastline, adjacent seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities continue to observe smaller rivers, mountainous areas, and communities vulnerable to flooding as Dolphin advances further inland. The 167,900 evacuation figure refers specifically to Fujian Province and does not encompass the entire eastern China region. Shanghai also reported another 215,600 evacuations, and Zhejiang undertook large-scale relocations before the storm’s arrival on the coast. By Tuesday morning, Dolphin had considerably weakened from its strength at Zhejiang landfall, yet its circulation still caused significant rainfall across central and eastern parts of China.