China evacuates one million from homes as massive storm arrives

Over a million individuals have been forced to leave their residences in eastern China, with Shanghai among the affected locales, as Typhoon Dolphin struck the region on Sunday evening. The storm initially hit Yuhuan in the Zhejiang province at 17:30 (09:30 GMT), registering maximum wind speeds of 150km/h (94mph). It subsequently made a second landfall in Wenzhou around an hour later, according to meteorological authorities.

Transportation across the area was disrupted, with Shanghai alone seeing 1,400 flight cancellations. Chinese officials initially issued a red alert for Dolphin, but later reduced it to a tropical storm by Monday morning. The typhoon is now advancing inland, with authorities predicting torrential rains, severe flooding, and potential landslides through Wednesday.

Heavy rain is forecast for provinces such as Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Local governments have advised citizens to stay indoors, and several prominent tourist attractions, including parts of Disneyland and Legoland, as well as viewing platforms along Shanghai's Bund, remain closed. Footage on state media showed ground-floor businesses inundated in Shanghai's French Concession area, a popular tourist destination, and people navigating through ankle-deep water.

A nine-year-old boy from Wenling, Zhejiang, is reported missing after being swept into the sea, though Chinese officials have not confirmed any casualties. Parts of Zhejiang may receive 250mm to 500mm of rain over the coming days, forecasters warn. In Hangzhou, the provincial capital, parking fees have been waived for drivers seeking shelter due to the storm's strong winds and floodwaters.

Wenzhou authorities have evacuated around 900,000 residents and established more than 1,000 emergency shelters, while approximately 390,000 people have been relocated from Taizhou. In Fujian, a coastal province, maritime authorities have suspended numerous passenger ferry services and halted over 100 offshore construction projects.

The storm has covered a vast distance of 6,000km before making landfall, indicating a lifespan of more than three times the average typhoon, as reported by China's state broadcaster CCTV. The storm's massive circulation and intense rainfall capacity have also been noted by CCTV. Misinformation regarding the storm has spread rapidly on the Chinese internet, with state media reporting the detention of two individuals for distributing false content.

One man, a 60-year-old, created an AI-generated video claiming someone had fallen from a building during the storm, while another, aged 32, altered storm footage posted by others in a misleading manner. Typhoon Dolphin had already caused torrential rains in the Philippines, parts of northern Taiwan, and Japan's Okinawa island before impacting China.

In the Philippines, eight people have died due to heavy monsoon rains brought on by Dolphin and previous storms, according to the Office of Civil Defence. Over 7,000 people are currently sheltering at evacuation centers nationwide. In Okinawa, Japan, five elderly individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries after falling due to strong winds, as reported by the prefectural government.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the weather observatory recorded a record high temperature of 36.9C on Sunday as the typhoon brought warm air to the city. Typhoon season in the western Pacific typically spans from May to October, with more intense storms expected during El Niño years, which experts suggest this year is experiencing.