Typhoon Dolphin Strikes Eastern China and Affects the Philippines

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast on Sunday evening. The storm prompted over 300,000 people to relocate in advance, and led to the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights at Shanghai’s two airports. Heavy rains hit northern Taiwan the preceding day.

In the Philippines, a landslide triggered by continuous heavy monsoon rains affected three houses in Baguio, a mountain resort city. Five individuals were rescued, while seven remain missing. Officials linked the intensified monsoon rains to Typhoon Dolphin.

Dolphin impacted the city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province and parts of Fujian province. Upon landfall, winds reached speeds of 151 kph (93 mph). The storm caused massive waves along the coastline and increased the risk of severe flooding and landslides in Zhejiang. Shanghai’s airports, Hongqiao and Pudong, canceled about 60% of Sunday’s scheduled flights.

Weather forecasts predicted 200-400 millimeters (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall in the affected regions over the next few days. The storm’s outer bands reached northern Taiwan, including Taipei. Several Taiwanese airlines canceled flights to China on Sunday.

By Saturday evening, around 390,000 people had been evacuated in Taizhou, Zhejiang. In Shanghai, over 30,000 people were relocated from high-risk areas. Ferry and cruise services in Zhejiang were suspended.

Prior to Dolphin’s influence, the Philippines experienced intensified monsoon rains, triggering floods and landslides. A notable landslide in Baguio on Sunday was part of this series of events. The deluge displaced more than 12,000 people mainly in the northern Luzon region, including the metropolitan area of Manila. Several northern cities and towns closed schools on Friday and Saturday.

The recent monsoon rains followed a tropical storm the previous week, which left six fatalities, including deaths in a landslide and a rockslide in Benguet and Rizal provinces.