Typhoon Dolphin hits Japan’s Okinawa, China shuts ports ahead of landfall

Typhoon Dolphin struck Okinawa, Japan on Saturday, causing injuries and power outages. Meanwhile, China prepared by closing ports and ferry routes. The typhoon, with 162kph winds, was 160km northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa, advancing northwest at 15kph. Five elderly individuals sustained minor injuries, three falling victim to the strong winds.

Air travel in Japan was disrupted, with ANA and Japan Airlines cancelling flights to the region. Typhoon Dolphin was forecast to make landfall in eastern China between late Sunday and early Monday, likely between Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province and Fuding city in Fujian province. Forecasters predicted heavy rain and sustained winds of 38-45 meters per second near the center, potentially bringing over 600mm of rain to some eastern Zhejiang areas.

Zhejiang raised its coastal typhoon alert to its maximum level and halted port operations. Shanghai's Yangshan port cleared vessels, and some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta suspended operations. Taiwan canceled 63 international flights due to the typhoon, though authorities had not ordered evacuations. China ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to follow its traffic control instructions, a move Taiwan called "ridiculous" as it claims sovereignty over the island and the strategic strait.