Typhoon Dolphin strikes eastern China, over a million evacuated

Typhoon Dolphin has made landfall on China’s eastern coast, bringing torrential rain and hurricane-force winds with more than one million people evacuated.

Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall near Yuhuan in eastern Zhejiang province at about 5:30pm (09:30 GMT) on Sunday, according to China’s meteorological authorities.

The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 151km/h (93mph) near its centre as it came ashore, equivalent to a Category one hurricane.

Authorities have warned of severe flooding and landslide risks as the storm moves inland and continues to bring heavy rain to densely populated areas of eastern China.

Transport was widely disrupted across the region. Shanghai evacuated at least 30,300 people and cancelled about 1,400 flights.

In neighbouring Zhejiang province, the city of Wenzhou relocated more than 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters.

Authorities had also evacuated about 390,000 people in the Zhejiang city of Taizhou by Saturday evening.

In Fujian province, about 98,900 people were evacuated from high-risk areas after authorities raised their typhoon emergency response to Level III, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Authorities moved offshore workers to safety, ordered vessels back to port and stepped up inspections of reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist locations.

Torrential rain is forecast through August 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu.

Parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive 250mm to 500mm (9.8-19.7 inches) of rain, according to forecasters.

China’s Ministry of Water Resources warned that the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers could experience major flooding, while smaller rivers in the hardest-hit areas could rise above warning levels.

Authorities also warned of a high risk of geological disasters in parts of Zhejiang, with residents in areas under a red mountain-torrent warning told to follow local evacuation orders.

After making landfall, Dolphin is forecast to track westward before slowing over central and southwestern China and gradually losing strength, Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, told state broadcaster CCTV.

The slower movement could prolong heavy rainfall and increase the threat of flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.

Dolphin had earlier swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture over the weekend, injuring at least six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.-Aljazeera

Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q