Typhoon Dolphin Storms into China, Evacuating Over One Million

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:14:59 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Typhoon Dolphin brings heavy rain and floods, pushing Chinese authorities to evacuate more than 1m people from Shanghai, Zhejiang and beyond.

A powerful Typhoon Dolphin struck eastern China, prompting authorities to evacuate over a million residents across Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hubei and Shandong. The storm’s intense winds and rains halted aviation, ground transport and opened thousands of emergency shelters. While the typhoon was downgraded to a tropical storm, officials warned of continued severe flooding and landslides until Wednesday. The event also sparked online misinformation and highlighted the growing impact of El‑Niño on regional weather patterns.

Typhoon Dolphin Storms into China, Evacuating Over One Million

Chinese officials began evacuating residents from major cities such as Shanghai and parts of Zhejiang as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on Sunday evening. The storm erupted a record‑level “red alert”, the highest in 2026, commanding emergency services to clear 1,000+ flights from Shanghai airports and shut down several tourist attractions.

Intense rain, wind speeds reaching 150km/h and massive water surge have forced civil protection agencies to open up 1,000 emergency shelters and relocate around 900,000 residents in Wenzhou and 390,000 in Taizhou. Hundreds of people are currently sheltering in designated sites across Zhejiang; meanwhile, the province of Fujian suspended ferry traffic and paused offshore construction works.

Meteorological authorities warned that storm‑related flooding and landslides could continue through Wednesday, as heavy rainfall is forecast for Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu and more. The Typhoon’s long path – estimated at 6,000km – indicates a lifespan far longer than the typical East‑Asian typhoon, boosting concerns over damage risks.

Tens of thousands of residents in Shanghai were caught in ankle‑deep flooding on the Bund and the historic French Concession district. While no casualties were officially recorded, a nine‑year‑old boy from Wenling, Zhejiang, was reported missing after being swept into the sea.

Officials also warned of misinformation spread on the internet; two men were detained for creating fake video of an alleged building collapse and re‑editing storm footage to mislead viewers.

Outside China, Typhoon Dolphin’s impact extended to the Philippines—where 8 people died from storm‑driven monsoon rains—and Japan’s Okinawa island, where 5 elderly residents sustained non‑life‑threatening injuries. Hong Kong’s weather observatory recorded a 36.9°C day under the typhoon’s warm front.

The ongoing El Niño year is expected to increase typhoon intensity, underscoring the growing need for robust preparedness across the Pacific region.