FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – As heavy rains and flooding extended across eastern China, approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province were evacuated due to Typhoon Dolphin. By 7 a.m. Monday, those living in vulnerable coastal and land areas had been relocated. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, roughly 215,600 individuals from high-risk zones were also moved to safety by late Sunday. Dolphin impacted the region with two landfalls in Zhejiang Province on Sunday before progressing inland and gradually losing strength.
During the storm response, Fujian authorities halted 686 passenger routes and 658 train services. The province also shut down 234 major tourist sites and canceled numerous cultural and tourism activities. In Shanghai, airlines canceled over 900 flights at the city’s two primary airports on Monday. Heavy rainfall resulted in flooding within parts of the financial hub and caused disruptions to public transportation. These measures were taken in response to widespread weather warnings issued across coastal zones exposed to Dolphin’s winds and rain.
On Sunday, Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, made landfall in Zhejiang with strong winds, coming ashore near Yuhuan in Taizhou at approximately 5:30 p.m. with peak winds of 42 meters per second, equivalent to about 151 kilometers per hour. The storm struck Zhejiang again before heading further inland, with its broad circulation bringing heavy rainfall to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and other eastern regions as it gradually weakened.
Storm diminishes after hitting Zhejiang
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin’s center had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province, located in central China. The National Meteorological Center designated the system as a tropical storm and maintained a blue typhoon warning. The outer circulation recorded maximum winds of 18 meters per second, while its central pressure stood at 995 hectopascals. Moving west-northwest at roughly 15 kilometers per hour, the storm continued to produce heavy rainfall across several provinces beyond its original coastal landfall zone.
On Monday, the Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. Zhejiang remained under a Level III response as authorities monitored rivers and areas vulnerable to flash floods. Additionally, the central government allocated 120 million yuan to support rescue operations, temporary shelters, hazard removal, safety inspections, and repairs for flood and typhoon-affected homes in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi.
Flood control efforts expand further inland
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday predicted heavy rain across a broad stretch of eastern and central China. The impacted regions included Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei. The forecasted rainfall ranged from 250 to 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Strong winds persisted along sections of the eastern coast, nearby seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities kept a close watch on smaller rivers, mountainous zones, and communities prone to flooding as Dolphin moved further inland. The evacuation figure of 167,900 pertains specifically to Fujian Province, not the entire eastern China region. Shanghai reported an additional 215,600 evacuations, with Zhejiang conducting large-scale relocations before the storm reached the coast. By Tuesday morning, Dolphin had significantly weakened from its Zhejiang landfall strength, but its circulation continued to cause heavy rainfall across central and eastern China.