Typhoon Dolphin hits eastern China, over a million evacuated
What's the story
Over a million people have been evacuated from their homes in eastern China, including Shanghai, as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall. The storm has caused heavy rainfall and disrupted transportation across the region. In Shanghai alone, 943 flights were canceled on Monday due to the severe weather conditions, according to a report by AFP, which cited the airport authority.
Storm update
Landslide risks persist until Wednesday
Although authorities have downgraded Typhoon Dolphin to a tropical storm, they continue to warn of torrential rains and severe flooding.
The storm is expected to move northward, with landslide risks persisting until Wednesday.
Chinese authorities had earlier issued their highest-level red alert for Dolphin, marking it as the strongest storm to hit China this year.
Damage report
Heavy rain forecast for several provinces
The storm made landfall in Yuhuan, Zhejiang province at 5:30pm local time on Sunday, packing maximum wind speeds of 150km/h. It then made a second landfall in Wenzhou about an hour later.
Heavy rain is forecast for Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai city on Monday, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Safety measures
Emergency shelters set up in Zhejiang province
In Zhejiang province, Hangzhou's authorities have waived parking fees for public spaces as drivers seek shelter from strong winds and floodwaters.
It resumed subway services on Monday morning, after halting some train operations on Sunday.
Wenzhou authorities have evacuated around 900,000 people and set up over 1,000 emergency shelters.
Meanwhile, Taizhou city has seen around 390,000 evacuations due to the storm's impact.
Journey details
Misinformation spreads about storm
Typhoon Dolphin traveled over 6,000km before hitting land, making it more than three times as long-lived as an average typhoon.
The storm has also caused misinformation to spread on the Chinese internet, with state media reporting two people were detained for spreading fake content about the storm.
The Philippines has reported eight deaths due to heavy monsoon rains brought by Dolphin.