Typhoon Dolphin weakens but disrupts travel in east China

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in Shanghai on Monday, bringing heavy rain and disrupting travel across eastern China. The storm weakened but continued to cause issues as it passed through Zhejiang province. Hundreds of flights were canceled at Shanghai's main airports, and public transport services were suspended in the city. Authorities issued a severe flash flood alert for parts of eastern and southern Zhejiang.

Despite the storm's weakening, the National Meteorological Centre warned that eastern and central China would still experience heavy rain in the coming day. Northern China also braced for extreme weather, with five Beijing districts issuing red alerts for heavy rain, landslide, and flooding risks. The typhoon prompted over 1,000 flight cancellations and tens of thousands of evacuations when it struck the weekend before.

This follows the devastation caused by Typhoon Noul two weeks prior, which hit southern Guangdong province as the strongest storm of the year. Last month, Typhoon Maysak brought devastating floods to Guangxi, killing 39 people and injuring 331 in Hubei province. Scientists warn that extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense as the Earth continues to warm due to fossil fuel emissions.

China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is working towards carbon neutrality by 2060 while also being a global leader in renewable energy.