FUZHOU, CHINA / RankWire.AI / – The China Meteorological Administration has increased flood alert measures following Typhoon Dolphin’s landfalls and the resulting heavy rainfall and floods across eastern China. In Fujian Province, authorities evacuated approximately 167,900 residents from vulnerable coastal and low-lying areas by 7 a.m. Monday. Meanwhile, Shanghai had already evacuated around 215,600 people from high-risk zones by late Sunday. The storm made two landfalls in Zhejiang Province on Sunday before moving inland and gradually losing strength.
During the storm response, Fujian authorities suspended 686 passenger routes and shut down 658 train services. They also closed 234 key 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. Heavy rain caused flooding in parts of the financial hub and disrupted public transit. These actions followed widespread weather alerts issued across coastal regions affected by Dolphin’s winds and rainfall.
As the 13th typhoon of 2026, Dolphin reached Zhejiang with formidable winds on Sunday. It made landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou around 5:30 p.m., with maximum winds of 42 meters per second, approximately 151 kilometers per hour. The storm struck Zhejiang again before continuing inland, bringing heavy rain to Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, and other eastern parts of China as it weakened and its circulation expanded.
Storm Diminishes Post Zhejiang Landfalls
By 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dolphin’s eye had reached Huanggang in Hubei Province, central China. The National Meteorological Center classified the system as a tropical storm and maintained a blue typhoon warning. Its outer bands registered maximum winds of 18 meters per second, with central pressure at 995 hectopascals. The storm was advancing west-northwest at roughly 15 kilometers per hour. Heavy rainfall persisted across multiple provinces well beyond Dolphin’s original coastal landfall zone.
On Monday, the Ministry of Water Resources issued a Level IV flood emergency response for Hubei, Henan, Hebei, and Shandong. Meanwhile, Zhejiang maintained a Level III alert as officials monitored rivers and regions susceptible to flash floods. The 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.
Flood Control Measures Broaden Inland
Forecasts for Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday indicated widespread heavy rainfall across eastern and central China. The affected zones included Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shandong, and Hebei. Beijing and Tianjin were also within the heavy rain forecast area. Predicted rainfall ranged from 250 to 350 millimeters in parts of southwestern Shandong and central and eastern Henan. Strong winds persisted along the eastern coast, adjacent seas, the Yangtze River estuary, and Hangzhou Bay.
Authorities continued to monitor smaller rivers, mountainous regions, and communities at risk of flooding as Dolphin moved further inland. The figure of 167,900 evacuations pertains specifically to Fujian Province, not the entire eastern China region. Shanghai reported an additional 215,600 evacuations, while Zhejiang conducted extensive relocations before the storm reached the coast. By Tuesday morning, Dolphin had significantly weakened from its Zhejiang landfall intensity, yet its circulation kept producing heavy rainfall across central and eastern China.