FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – As heavy rain and flooding spread across eastern China, Typhoon Dolphin prompted the evacuation of approximately 167,900 residents in Fujian Province. This number reflects those who moved from vulnerable coastal and land areas by 7 a.m. Monday, with Shanghai also evacuating about 215,600 people from at-risk zones by late Sunday. Dolphin made two landfalls in Zhejiang Province on Sunday before progressing inland and gradually weakening.
Fujian officials halted 686 passenger routes and 658 train services during the storm response. They additionally shut down 234 major tourist sites and canceled numerous cultural and tourism events. In Shanghai, airlines canceled over 900 flights at the city’s two main airports on Monday. Flooding in parts of the financial hub disrupted public transportation, and widespread weather warnings were issued across coastal regions exposed to Dolphin’s winds and rain.
Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, hit Zhejiang with fierce winds on Sunday, making landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou around 5:30 p.m. with maximum sustained winds of 42 meters per second, approximately 151 kilometers per hour. The storm made a second landfall in Zhejiang before moving further inland, bringing heavy rainfall across Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and neighboring areas as it weakened and its circulation expanded.
Storm weakens after Zhejiang landfalls
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin’s center had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province, central China. The National Meteorological Center classified it as a tropical storm and maintained a blue typhoon warning. The storm’s outer circulation carried maximum winds of 18 meters per second, with a central pressure of 995 hectopascals. Moving west-northwest at roughly 15 kilometers per hour, the storm continued to produce heavy rainfall across multiple provinces well beyond Dolphin’s original coastal landfall zone.
On Monday, the Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong, while maintaining a Level III alert in Zhejiang as officials monitored river systems and flash flood-prone areas. The central government allocated 120 million yuan for Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, and Jiangxi, supporting rescue efforts, temporary shelters, hazard mitigation, safety inspections, and repairs for flood- and typhoon-damaged homes.
Inland flood response intensifies
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday show heavy rainfall across a wide region of eastern and central China. Areas affected include Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei, with Beijing and Tianjin also within the heavy rain zone. Predicted rainfall totals range from 250 to 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Strong winds persisted along sections of the eastern coast, adjacent seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities maintained vigilance over smaller rivers, mountain areas, and communities vulnerable to flooding as Dolphin moved further inland. The 167,900 evacuations specifically refer to Fujian Province, while Shanghai reported another 215,600 evacuations and Zhejiang also executed large-scale relocations before the storm reached the coast. By Tuesday morning, Dolphin had significantly weakened from its Zhejiang landfall intensity, yet its circulation continued to cause heavy rainfall across central and eastern China.