Typhoon Dolphin hits Japan's Okinawa, China shuts ports ahead of landfall
The typhoon recorded maximum sustained winds of 162kmh with gusts reaching 216kmh.
Typhoon Dolphin struck Japan's Okinawa prefecture on August 8, 2021, causing injuries and power outages. Five people were injured in Okinawa, including three elderly individuals who fell due to strong winds. Another person sustained injuries in Kagoshima prefecture. Around 39,000 buildings in Kagoshima and 12,000 in Okinawa lost power. Domestic airlines ANA and Japan Airlines suspended flights to and from Okinawa. As of 3am GMT, the typhoon was 160km northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa, moving northwest at 15kmh.
China announced the closure of ports and suspension of ferries in anticipation of the storm's arrival on its east coast. The storm was classified as an orange-category typhoon in China, the second-highest level. Authorities raised the emergency response level to level III due to concerns over flooding and landslides. The typhoon is expected to make landfall between Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province and Fuding city in Fujian province, bringing winds of 38 to 45 meters per second near its center.
In response, various ports and airports in China halted operations. Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang province stopped flights on August 8th and will continue suspending flights on August 9th. Shanghai's Yangshan port cleared vessels by late Friday, and some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta will be suspended from Sunday.
Taiwan also experienced the effects of Typhoon Dolphin, with 78 international flights canceled and heavy rain expected in northern parts of the island. China has ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to follow traffic control instructions, a measure that Taiwan and the United States reject.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
