Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on the east coast of China on August 9, bringing torrential rain and strong winds, as authorities prepare to respond to floods and landslides over a large area in eastern China.
Typhoon Dolphin previously swept through Okinawa prefecture in southern Japan, injuring 6 people and causing power outages in more than 50,000 buildings. Before the typhoon hit China, authorities had taken offshore workers to safety, ordered ships to return to ports and strengthened inspections at reservoirs, springs in mountains, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist attractions.
After landing, Dolphin is forecast to move west before slowing down in central and southwestern China, gradually weakening, said Wang Haiping - chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center - to CCTV. This could prolong heavy rain and increase the risk of floods and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along small rivers.
The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources also established a level III geological disaster response in Zhejiang and level IV in Anhui, warning of landslides and other hazards in eastern Zhejiang and western Anhui. Authorities warned of a high risk of geological disasters in some areas of Zhejiang, while people in areas in the red mountainous flash flood warning were required to comply with local evacuation orders.
The China National Meteorological Center said that the storm is expected to last until August 10 with sustained winds of up to 162 km/h before weakening and moving inland. This level is equivalent to a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, a storm that is likely to cause widespread damage to houses, trees and infrastructure.
Torrential rain is forecast to last until the end of August 10th across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and most of Jiangsu. According to forecasters, some areas in central and eastern Zhejiang may experience rainfall from 250mm to 500mm.
Yangshan port in Shanghai has cleared ships from wharves and relocated more than 500 small and medium-sized vehicles to shelters before Hurricane Dolphin hit, the city's maritime safety management agency said.
