Typhoon Dolphin hits Okinawa with 216 km/h winds; China closes ports ahead of expected landfall

Typhoon Dolphin struck southern Japan's Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, leaving six people injured and causing widespread power outages.

In Okinawa, five elderly individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries, with three falling due to strong winds. Another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture. Over 50,000 households lost electricity across Okinawa and Kagoshima, while domestic airlines ANA and Japan Airlines canceled flights to and from Okinawa.

The typhoon carried maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching 216 kilometers per hour. Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture were the primary areas expected to be hit in Japan.

Meanwhile, China braced for the typhoon's arrival, classifying it as a Category Orange storm, the second-highest alert level. Authorities raised the emergency response level to III, citing concerns about potential floods and landslides. The storm is projected to make landfall between Sunday late and Monday early on China's eastern coast, potentially bringing heavy rainfall exceeding 600 millimeters in parts of Zhejiang province.

Taiwan also experienced disruptions, with 78 flights, mostly international, canceled due to the typhoon. Heavy rain was anticipated in the northern parts of the island. China's directive for ships in the Taiwan Strait to adhere to its traffic control instructions was criticized by Taipei as baseless.