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

Okinawa, Japan experienced Typhoon Dolphin, resulting in injuries to five elderly individuals and power outages for 14,000 buildings. Three of the injured fell due to strong winds. China responded by closing ports and ferry routes ahead of the storm's anticipated landfall along its east coast. Typhoon Dolphin was approximately 160 kilometers northwest of Kume Island, Okinawa and was moving northwest at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported sustained winds of 162 kph with gusts reaching 216 kph. Domestic airlines ANA and Japan Airlines canceled flights to the region.

Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture are the primary areas expected to be affected in Japan. China's National Meteorological Centre anticipated the typhoon to make landfall between late Sunday and early Monday, most likely between Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province and Fuding city in Fujian province. Winds of 38-45 meters per second near its center and heavy rain, with some areas of eastern Zhejiang potentially receiving over 600 mm, were predicted.

Coastal typhoon alerts were raised in Zhejiang, ports halted operations, and 162 passenger ferry routes were suspended. Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang ceased operations by late Friday, and Shanghai's Yangshan port cleared vessels by the same time. Rail services in the Yangtze River Delta were set to be suspended from Sunday.

In Taiwan, 63 international flights were canceled due to the typhoon, with authorities in Taipei rejecting China's claim to the strategic Taiwan Strait.