China Moves a Million People Out as Mother Nature Announces a Massive Arrival

More than a million people have been evacuated from parts of eastern China as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall, bringing heavy rain, powerful winds and widespread disruption to transport. The storm affected several provinces and the financial hub of Shanghai, where nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled on Monday. Although authorities later downgraded Dolphin to a tropical storm, warnings remained in place for torrential rainfall, flooding and possible landslides as the system moved north. China Issues Highest-Level Storm Warning Chinese authorities had earlier issued their highest-level red alert for Dolphin, describing it as the strongest storm to hit the country this year. The typhoon reached maximum wind speeds of around 150km/h (94mph) when it first made landfall near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at 17:30 local time on Sunday. About an hour later, it made a second landfall near Wenzhou. Heavy rainfall was forecast across Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai. Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor activity, while several major tourist attractions were closed. Parts of Disneyland and Legoland were among the sites affected, while viewing platforms along Shanghai's Bund were also shut. Footage carried by state media showed flooding in ground-floor businesses in Shanghai former French Concession, while residents were seen moving through water on flooded streets. Hundreds of Thousands Moved to Safety The scale of the evacuation varied across affected areas. Authorities in Wenzhou said around 900,000 residents had been relocated, with more than 1,000 emergency shelters opened. In Taizhou, around 390,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Hangzhou authorities waived parking fees at public parking facilities to help people seeking shelter during the storm. In Fujian province, maritime authorities suspended dozens of passenger ferry routes and halted more than 100 offshore construction projects as precautionary measures. Forecasters warned that parts of Zhejiang could receive between 250mm and 500mm of rain over several days, raising concerns about flooding and landslides. Missing Child Reported as Flooding Spreads Chinese state media reported that a nine year old boy from Wenling in Zhejiang was missing after being swept into the sea. Officials had not reported any confirmed casualties in China at the time of the reports. The storm long journey before reaching China also attracted attention. China state broadcaster CCTV reported that Dolphin travelled roughly 6,000km before landfall and had an unusually large circulation and significant rainfall potential. Storm Disrupts the Wider Region Dolphin did not affect China alone. Before reaching the mainland, the system brought heavy rain to the Philippines, northern Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa region. In the Philippines, eight people died following heavy monsoon rains associated with Dolphin and other storms earlier in the week, according to the country's Office of Civil Defence. More than 7,000 people were sheltering in evacuation centres. In Okinawa, five elderly people suffered non life threatening injuries, with three reportedly falling because of strong winds. Hong Kong also experienced unusual weather conditions as the typhoon moved nearby. The city's weather observatory recorded a temperature of 36.9C on Sunday as the storm pushed warm air across the territory. Authorities Battle Misinformation The storm has also triggered a separate challenge online, with Chinese authorities warning about misinformation circulating on social media. State media reported that two people had been detained over content considered misleading. One case involved a 60 year old man who allegedly created an AI-generated video falsely suggesting that someone in Shanghai had fallen from a building during the storm. A second man, aged 32, was reportedly detained after re-editing footage originally posted by other social media users in a way authorities considered misleading. The episode highlights how extreme weather events can create a second crisis online, where authentic footage, edited material and AI generated videos can quickly become difficult for audiences to distinguish. A Long and Disruptive Storm Typhoon season in the western Pacific generally runs from May through October, making major storms during this period a recurring risk for countries across East and Southeast Asia. Dolphin impact, however, extended well beyond the point where it first made landfall. From mass evacuations and flight cancellations in China to deaths in the Philippines and injuries in Okinawa, the storm disrupted communities across a wide area. For Chinese authorities, the immediate priority remains managing heavy rainfall, flooding and landslide risks as Dolphin weakens and moves north. The large-scale evacuations and suspension of transport services demonstrate the extent to which authorities were preparing for the possibility of severe impacts even as the storm classification changed. As the weather system continues to weaken, attention will now turn towards flooding, rainfall totals and the recovery of communities affected by the storm.