FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – Typhoon Dolphin prompted the evacuation of approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province amid widespread heavy rains and flooding impacting eastern China. By 7 a.m. Monday, the residents displaced from vulnerable land and coastal zones in Fujian had been moved. Meanwhile, Shanghai separately evacuated around 215,600 individuals from areas deemed at risk by late Sunday. Dolphin made landfalls in Zhejiang Province on two occasions on Sunday before heading inland and gradually losing its intensity.
During the storm response, Fujian authorities halted 686 passenger road routes and suspended 658 train services. They also closed 234 major tourist sites and canceled numerous cultural and tourism events. In Shanghai, airlines canceled over 900 flights at the city’s primary airports on Monday. Heavy rainfall led to flooding in parts of the financial hub and caused disruptions to public transit systems. These measures followed extensive weather alerts issued across coastal regions exposed to Dolphin’s winds and rainfall.
The 13th typhoon of 2026, Dolphin, reached Zhejiang with formidable winds on Sunday, making landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou at roughly 5:30 p.m. with peak winds of 42 meters per second, equivalent to about 151 kilometers per hour. The storm made another landfall in Zhejiang before advancing further inland. Its broad circulation brought substantial rainfall to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and other eastern Chinese areas as the storm weakened.
Storm Loses Strength Following Zhejiang Landfalls
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin’s center had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province, central China. The National Meteorological Center classified the system as a tropical storm and maintained a blue typhoon warning. Its outer circulation sustained maximum winds of 18 meters per second, with a central pressure of 995 hectopascals. The storm was progressing west-northwest at about 15 kilometers per hour. Persistent heavy rain affected multiple provinces well beyond Dolphin’s initial coastal landfall zone.
On Monday, the Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response in Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. A Level III response was also maintained in Zhejiang as authorities monitored rivers and flood-prone areas. Additionally, central government allocated 120 million yuan for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi. This funding supports rescue operations, temporary shelters, hazard mitigation, safety checks, and repairs for homes impacted by the flooding and typhoon.
Flood Management Efforts Broaden Deeper Inland
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday predict heavy rainfall across a broad stretch of eastern and central China. The areas expected to be affected include Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei. Beijing and Tianjin also remain within the zone of intense rainfall. Expected rainfall amounts range from 250 to 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Strong winds are also forecasted along sections of the eastern coast, nearby seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities continue to observe smaller rivers, mountainous regions, and communities vulnerable to flooding as Dolphin progresses further inland. The evacuation number of 167,900 pertains specifically to Fujian Province, rather than the entire eastern China region. Shanghai has reported an additional 215,600 evacuations, with Zhejiang conducting large-scale relocations before the storm’s arrival on the coast. By Tuesday morning, Dolphin had significantly weakened from its Zhejiang landfall strength, yet its circulation persisted in causing heavy rainfall across central and eastern China.