Over 1,000 flights cancelled in China as Typhoon Dolphin looms

Over a thousand flights were cancelled across China as Typhoon Dolphin approached, prompting evacuations and a top-level alert from authorities. Nearly 1,400 flights to and from Shanghai's two biggest passenger airports were grounded on Sunday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Hangzhou airport in Zhejiang province saw 270 cancellations.

The typhoon, which had recently hit Japan's Okinawa, was expected to make landfall late Sunday or early Monday in Zhejiang or the neighboring Fujian province. Seven people in Okinawa were injured, including a senior citizen who fell and hit his head. Nearly 5,300 households in Okinawa lost power by Sunday afternoon. In Taiwan, dozens of ferry services were suspended and over 180 flights cancelled as the storm brought rain and strong winds to the north.

The National Meteorological Centre in China issued a red alert, its highest warning, forecasting extreme torrential rain in parts of central and eastern Zhejiang. Heavy rain was also predicted for Shanghai, Fujian, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces through Monday afternoon. After landfall, the typhoon was expected to weaken while moving northwesterly over eastern China.

In Fujian, 99,000 residents were moved from risky areas ahead of the storm. Over 200 ferry routes in Zhejiang and Fujian were suspended, and offshore work was halted as 474 vessels were brought to port. Some train services were also cancelled to ensure passenger safety. Typhoon Dolphin's arrival followed two weeks after Typhoon Noul struck southern Guangdong province, causing three deaths and widespread damage.