FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – Approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province were forced to evacuate their homes due to Typhoon Dolphin as it brought severe weather conditions across eastern China. The authorities completed the evacuation operations in Fujian by 7 a.m. Monday, targeting both coastal and inland communities vulnerable to flooding and strong winds. Separately, Shanghai relocated around 215,600 residents from areas at high risk by late Sunday. The storm initially hit Zhejiang Province before pushing further inland and weakening over central China.
In response to the storm, Fujian officials suspended 686 passenger routes and 658 train services, disrupting travel across the region. Authorities also shut down 234 major tourist sites and canceled numerous cultural and tourism events. Meanwhile, Shanghai experienced widespread transportation disruptions, with over 900 flights canceled at its two main airports on Monday. Heavy rainfall led to flooding in several parts of the city and interrupted public transit services as intense rains continued over the Yangtze River Delta and adjacent coastal areas.
Dolphin became the 13th typhoon to impact China in 2026, making landfall in Zhejiang on Sunday with formidable winds. The storm made landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou at roughly 5:30 p.m., with local measurements indicating maximum sustained winds of about 42 meters per second, roughly 151 kilometers per hour. Afterward, Dolphin made another landfall in Zhejiang before heading further inland. Its extensive circulation brought heavy rainfall into Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and surrounding regions.
Dolphin Advances Inland Following Coastal Impact
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province and weakened to tropical-storm strength. The National Meteorological Center maintained a blue typhoon warning as the system continued its northwestward movement. Wind speeds near the storm’s center decreased to 18 meters per second, with a central pressure of 995 hectopascals. Moving at about 15 kilometers per hour, Dolphin’s rainbands persisted in affecting large areas beyond the initial landfall zone.
In response to the shifting rainfall pattern, China increased its flood management efforts in central and northern regions. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. Zhejiang maintained a Level III response due to ongoing flood and river risks. Additionally, authorities allocated 120 million yuan to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi to support rescue operations, provide temporary shelter, conduct hazard removal, carry out safety inspections, and repair damaged homes.
Widespread Heavy Rain Continues Across Multiple Regions
Forecasts from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday indicate that heavy rain will continue across eastern, central, and northern China. Affected areas include Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei. Beijing and Tianjin are also expected to experience periods of intense rainfall. Predicted totals range between 250 and 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Strong winds persist along the eastern coast, the nearby seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Monitoring of rivers, mountain regions, and low-lying communities remained ongoing as Dolphin continued moving further inland. The reported evacuations of 167,900 people specifically pertain to Fujian Province and do not encompass the total evacuations across eastern China. Shanghai alone reported over 215,000 precautionary relocations, with Zhejiang also evacuating large numbers of residents prior to landfall. While Dolphin had largely lost its coastal strength by Tuesday morning, its lingering circulation continued to produce heavy rainfall across multiple central and eastern provinces.