Typhoon Dolphin Hits China's East Coast, Causing Floods and Chaos

Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, has made landfall on the country's eastern coast, unleashing torrential rains and fierce winds. The storm has triggered significant flooding in major cities, including Shanghai, and raised concerns about potential landslides.

The typhoon struck near the island city of Yuhuan in Zhejiang province on Sunday afternoon, with wind speeds near its center recorded at 42 meters per second, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Authorities had taken precautionary measures, evacuating workers from offshore facilities, ordering ships back to port, and increasing checks on reservoirs, mountain streams, and construction sites.

Before reaching China, Typhoon Dolphin had already caused damage in Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture. The storm injured six people and left more than 50,000 buildings without electricity. The meteorological authorities in China reported that the typhoon's center passed near Yuhuan at 5:30 PM local time on Sunday.

Forecasters anticipate that Typhoon Dolphin will move westward after its initial impact, gradually weakening as it moves towards central and southwestern China. Wang Haiping, a senior meteorologist at China's National Meteorological Center, stated that the storm is expected to dissipate over land.