China evacuates over 1 million as Typhoon Dolphin brings heavy rains

Chinese authorities evacuated more than one million people to safe areas in the east of the country by Sunday evening after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall, amid fears that heavy rains could trigger floods and landslides, according to The Guardian.

The coastal city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province reported relocating over 900,000 people to safety and opening more than 1,500 emergency shelters. In neighboring Fujian province, 98,900 residents were evacuated from high-risk areas.

In Shanghai, authorities moved 215,600 people from vulnerable areas by Sunday evening, surpassing earlier estimates of 30,300. A central city weather station recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall in more than 150 years.

Widespread flood warnings issued

Meteorologists in China forecast that some regions could see rainfall between 200 and 400 millimeters in the coming days. Dolphin was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm by 5 a.m. Monday, but authorities warned that heavy rain would continue across large parts of eastern and central China, stretching north to Shandong province and including Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai.

Authorities urged residents to stay indoors during periods of intense rainfall, warning that continued heavy rain through Wednesday could cause widespread flooding and landslides.

Typhoon disrupts transport and neighboring regions

The typhoon led to the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights at Shanghai's airports. Dolphin had earlier swept through Okinawa prefecture in southern Japan, injuring six people and cutting power to over 50,000 buildings.

In the Philippines, the typhoon did not make landfall in the north but intensified the monsoon rains, resulting in flooding across large parts of northern Luzon, including areas around the capital, Manila.

Scientists note that global warming has increased the likelihood of extreme weather events, including more powerful tropical cyclones.