Typhoon Dolphin slams eastern China, forcing 1M to evacuate
Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest tropical cyclone to strike China this year, slammed into the country's eastern coast on Sunday, August 9. The storm unleashed torrential downpours and gale-force winds, triggering widespread flooding and devastating landslides. Transport networks across eastern China suffered severe disruptions, forcing over one million residents to evacuate their homes.
Before making landfall in China, the typhoon swept through the southern Japanese region of Okinawa. The storm injured six people and cut power to more than 50,000 buildings.
Landfall and storm intensity
The cyclone made landfall near Yuhuan in eastern Zhejiang province. Packing maximum sustained winds of 42 meters per second at impact, the storm carried strength equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Meteorologists forecast heavy rainfall through August 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu. Central and eastern parts of Zhejiang could see localized rainfall between 250 mm and 500 mm.
"After making landfall, Dolphin is projected to track westward before slowing down," Wang Haiping, chief meteorologist at the National Meteorological Center, told state broadcaster CCTV. "As it moves into central and southwestern regions, the system will progressively weaken."
În provincia vecină Zhejiang, autoritățile orașului Wenzhou au relocat peste 900.000 de locuitori și au deschis mai mult de 1.000 de adăposturi de urgență.
În provincia Fujian, autoritățile au evacuat 98.900 de persoane din zonele cu risc ridicat, după ce au ridicat nivelul de răspuns de urgență pentru taifun la Nivelul III, conform agenției Xinhua. Provinciile Zhejiang, Shanghai și Jiangsu au activat, de asemenea, răspunsul de urgență de Nivel III.
Oamenii de știință afirmă că încălzirea globală a crescut probabilitatea fenomenelor meteorologice extreme, inclusiv a taifunurilor mai puternice.
Prolonged flood risk and emergency response
Officials warn that the storm's slow inland movement could prolong heavy rains. This trajectory significantly elevates the risk of flash floods and mudslides, particularly in mountainous terrain and along riverbanks.
In Zhejiang province, municipal authorities in Wenzhou relocated over 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters.
In neighboring Fujian province, authorities evacuated 98,900 people from high-risk zones after escalating their emergency response to Level III, state agency Xinhua reported. Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Jiangsu have also activated Level III emergency measures.
Climate scientists emphasize that global warming is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, driving more intense typhoons across the region.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
