Shanghai Cancels 1,300 Flights as Typhoon Dolphin Hits China’s Eastern Coast

Typhoon Dolphin struck China's eastern coast Sunday evening, forcing the preemptive relocation of over 300,000 people and leading to the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights at Shanghai's two major airports. The storm had previously brought heavy rains to northern Taiwan the day before.

The typhoon made landfall in Taizhou city, Zhejiang province, and northern Fujian province, accompanied by strong winds estimated at 151 kilometers per hour (93 mph) and massive waves. Authorities have issued warnings for severe flooding in Zhejiang and highlighted significant landslide risks in the affected regions.

Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled approximately 60% of their scheduled flights for Sunday. Chinese forecasters anticipate that some areas could receive between 200-400 mm (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall over the coming days. The storm's outer bands also impacted northern Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, on Saturday, leading some Taiwanese airlines to cancel flights to China.

In Zhejiang, authorities evacuated around 390,000 people from Taizhou city, while Shanghai relocated over 30,000 individuals from at-risk areas. Water-based activities, including ferries and cruises, were suspended in Zhejiang. Earlier, in the Philippines, Typhoon Dolphin intensified seasonal monsoon rains, causing floods in the northern Luzon region and displacing over 12,000 people. These monsoon rains followed a tropical storm that resulted in at least six deaths due to landslides and rockslides in Luzon.