Typhoon Dolphin bears down on China, cancelling more than 1,000 flights

China braced for the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin on Sunday, with the densely populated eastern coast bracing for the storm's impact. The typhoon had already forced more than 1,000 flight cancellations, prompting evacuations and a top-level alert from authorities. Shanghai’s two main passenger airports canceled nearly 1,400 flights, while Hangzhou in Zhejiang province saw 270 flights grounded.

The typhoon, which recently battered Japan’s Okinawa, is expected to make landfall in Zhejiang or its neighboring Fujian province late Sunday or early Monday. Seven people were injured in Okinawa, including an elderly man who fell and hit his head. Over 5,000 households in Okinawa lost power, and ferry services were suspended while more than 180 flights were canceled on the island.

China's National Meteorological Centre issued a red typhoon alert, warning of "extraordinary torrential rain" in central and eastern Zhejiang. Heavy precipitation was also forecast for Shanghai, parts of Fujian, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces through Monday afternoon. By Saturday evening, nearly 99,000 people had been evacuated from risky areas in Fujian, and over 200 ferry routes were suspended in Zhejiang and Fujian.

Construction work was halted, and 474 vessels were brought to port. Some train services were also suspended to ensure passenger safety. Typhoon Dolphin's arrival follows Typhoon Noul, which hit southern Guangdong province two weeks ago, killing three people and damaging hundreds of homes.