Flight cancellations, evacuations in China as Typhoon Dolphin looms

China is bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin on Sunday, which has already caused over 1,000 flight cancellations and evacuations. Nearly 1,400 flights into and out of Shanghai's two main passenger airports were halted on Sunday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Hangzhou's airport in Zhejiang province saw 270 flights cancelled.

The typhoon, which recently caused heavy rain and strong winds in Japan's Okinawa, is expected to make landfall in Zhejiang or neighboring Fujian late Sunday or early Monday. Seven people in Okinawa sustained minor injuries, including an elderly man who fell and hit his head. By Sunday afternoon, 5,290 households in Okinawa were without power.

In Taiwan, ferry services were suspended and over 180 flights cancelled as the storm brought downpours and strong winds to the north. China's National Meteorological Centre issued a red typhoon alert, its most severe warning, forecasting extraordinary torrential rain in central and eastern Zhejiang. Heavy precipitation is also expected in Shanghai, parts of Fujian, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces through Monday afternoon.

After landfall, the typhoon is expected to weaken while moving northwest over eastern China. In Fujian, nearly 99,000 people were relocated from risky areas on Saturday. Services on more than 200 ferry routes were suspended in Zhejiang and Fujian, and 474 construction vessels were called to port. Some train services were also suspended to ensure passenger safety.

Typhoon Dolphin arrives in China two weeks after Typhoon Noul hit southern Guangdong province, causing three deaths and widespread damage in the Philippines before reaching China.