FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – Heavy rains and flooding prompted the evacuation of approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province as Typhoon Dolphin impacted eastern China. The figure for Fujian residents moved from vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas by 7 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, about 215,600 people had been evacuated from high-risk zones by late Sunday. Dolphin made landfall twice in Zhejiang Province on Sunday before progressing inland and gradually diminishing in strength.
During the storm, Fujian authorities halted 686 passenger routes and 658 train services. They also shut down 234 major tourist sites and canceled numerous cultural and tourism-related events. At the same time, airlines in Shanghai canceled over 900 flights at the city’s two main airports on Monday. Flooding in parts of the financial hub disrupted public transportation, while heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding. These actions followed extensive weather warnings issued across coastal regions vulnerable to Dolphin’s winds and rain.
On Sunday, Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, reached Zhejiang with strong winds, making landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou around 5:30 p.m. with peak winds of 42 meters per second, roughly 151 kilometers per hour. The storm then made another landfall in Zhejiang before progressing further inland. Its extensive circulation brought heavy rains to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and other parts of eastern China as the storm gradually weakened.
Storm Loses Intensity Following Zhejiang Landfalls
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin’s eye had reached Huanggang in central China’s Hubei Province. The National Meteorological Center classified the storm as a tropical system and maintained a blue typhoon warning. Its outer circulation carried maximum winds of 18 meters per second, with central pressure at 995 hectopascals. Moving west-northwest at approximately 15 kilometers per hour, the storm continued to produce heavy rainfall across several provinces beyond its initial coastal landfall zone.
The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong on Monday. It also sustained a Level III response in Zhejiang while officials monitored rivers and flood-prone areas. Central government allocated 120 million yuan for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi to support rescue operations, temporary shelters, hazard mitigation, safety inspections, and repairs to flood-damaged homes.
Inland Flood Preparedness and Response Expand
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday indicated heavy rainfall across a large part of eastern and central China. Regions affected included Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei. Beijing and Tianjin also remained within zones forecasted for heavy rain. Expected rainfall in some areas of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan ranged from 250 to 350 millimeters. Strong winds persisted along sections of the eastern coast, adjacent seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities continued to monitor smaller rivers, mountain communities, and flood-prone areas as Dolphin moved further inland. The 167,900 evacuation figure pertains specifically to Fujian Province, rather than the entire eastern region. Shanghai reported an additional 215,600 evacuations, and Zhejiang also conducted significant relocations before the storm reached the coast. By Tuesday morning, Dolphin’s strength had markedly decreased from its Zhejiang landfall, yet its circulation still caused heavy rainfall across central and eastern China.