The powerful storm formed in the western Pacific in late July, battered Japan’s southern islands and made landfall in China’s Zhejiang province.
More than 1 million people were moved to safety as authorities warned of flooding, landslides and prolonged rainfall.
Typhoon Dolphin has crossed a large section of East Asia, disrupting transportation, cutting electricity and forcing large-scale evacuations in Japan and China.
The storm made landfall on China’s eastern coast on Sunday, August 9, after passing through Japan’s Okinawa prefecture and moving across the East China Sea.
As of Monday, August 10, the typhoon was weakening inland, but its remnants were still producing torrential rain and flooding across eastern China, including Shanghai and several neighbouring provinces.
Authorities continued to warn that the prolonged rainfall could trigger flash floods and landslides.
When It Started
Dolphin began as a tropical disturbance in the Pacific and was classified as a tropical depression after entering the western Pacific on July 26.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency named it Dolphin the following day, when the system was designated Tropical Depression 12W by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The storm intensified rapidly over warm Pacific waters. According to China’s meteorological authorities, Dolphin reached super typhoon strength within roughly 48 hours of forming, with maximum winds reported at up to 65 metres per second, or approximately 234 kilometres per hour.
It reportedly maintained at least typhoon strength for around nine days and developed an unusually large wind field.
At its strongest stage, Dolphin was significantly more powerful than the system that eventually reached Japan and China.
By the time it approached the Japanese islands, the storm had weakened but remained capable of producing destructive winds, high waves and heavy rain.
Dolphin’s Route Across the Pacific
The storm travelled thousands of kilometres from the open Pacific toward the densely populated coast of East Asia.
Its route unfolded in several stages:
– Dolphin formed in the central-western Pacific near the Marshall Islands region in late July.
– It moved west-northwest toward Japan’s remote Ogasawara, or Bonin, Islands, where it generated very high waves and dangerous weather.
– The storm then continued toward the Ryukyu island chain, including Okinawa and the Amami Islands.
– It passed near or across southern Japan before moving into the East China Sea.
– Dolphin later passed north of Taiwan and turned toward China’s eastern coastline.
– It made landfall near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at about 5:30 p.m. local time on August 9.
– A second landfall was reported near Yueqing in Zhejiang approximately an hour later, after which the system moved inland and began to weaken.
Forecast models initially showed several possible tracks, including a route toward the Yangtze River estuary, Shanghai or northern Fujian. The final path brought the storm into Zhejiang, south of Shanghai, before it turned farther inland.
How Strong Was the Wind?
Dolphin’s wind speeds varied considerably during its life cycle. At its peak over the Pacific, the storm’s maximum winds were estimated at approximately 65 metres per second, or 234 kilometres per hour.
Some early reports placed the storm’s peak intensity even higher, although measurements differ depending on whether meteorologists use one-minute or ten-minute sustained winds.
When Dolphin reached Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency recorded sustained winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching 216 kilometres per hour.
The agency classified the system as a “very strong” typhoon under Japan’s operational terminology.
At landfall in Zhejiang, China’s National Meteorological Center reported maximum sustained winds of approximately 42 metres per second, or 151 kilometres per hour.
That is broadly comparable to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, although typhoon classification systems differ between countries.
The storm’s wind field was also unusually broad. Chinese authorities said winds of at least gale force extended hundreds of kilometres from the centre, increasing the risk of coastal flooding, storm surge and damage well beyond the area directly crossed by the eye.
The Impact in Japan
Okinawa and other southern Japanese islands were among the first populated areas to experience Dolphin’s most dangerous conditions.
At least five people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa, according to local authorities. Other reports put the number of injured at six or seven across the affected Japanese regions.
More than 40,000 buildings temporarily lost electricity, while flights were cancelled and Naha International Airport suspended operations as the storm approached.
Authorities issued evacuation recommendations and orders for residents in vulnerable areas of Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures.
More than 500 flights were cancelled in connection with the storm, while ports, ferry routes and other transportation services were disrupted.
Japan also experienced high waves, strong coastal winds and heavy rainfall. Officials warned residents to remain indoors during the most dangerous periods, particularly in exposed coastal and island communities.
China Prepares for Landfall
China responded with its highest-level typhoon warning as Dolphin approached the eastern coast. Ports and ferry routes were closed, schools and tourist sites were shut in some areas, and emergency teams were deployed in Zhejiang, Fujian, Shanghai and nearby provinces.
More than 1 million people were relocated from areas considered vulnerable to storm surge, flooding and landslides.
Wenzhou alone moved more than 900,000 residents and opened hundreds of emergency shelters, while nearly 99,000 people were relocated in Fujian province. Shanghai also moved residents from flood-prone and otherwise high-risk areas.
The storm caused widespread travel disruption. Around 1,400 flights were cancelled at Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports, while hundreds more were cancelled at Hangzhou airport in Zhejiang. Railway, ferry and road services were also affected.
Flooding Becomes the Main Threat
Although Dolphin weakened rapidly after moving inland, the danger did not end when the winds declined. The storm’s extensive rain bands continued to affect Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi and other parts of eastern and central China.
Forecasters warned that some areas of Zhejiang could receive between 250 and 500 millimetres of rain, while other projections indicated that isolated totals could exceed 600 millimetres.
In Shanghai, one weather station recorded nearly 313 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, reportedly the highest daily total in more than 150 years of records.
The combination of saturated ground, swollen rivers and mountainous terrain raised the risk of flash floods and landslides. Authorities warned that heavy rainfall could continue for several days even as Dolphin weakened into a tropical storm and moved farther inland.
The Situation So Far
The full damage assessment remains incomplete because the storm is still affecting large parts of China. The most immediate consequences reported so far are:
– More than 1 million people evacuated or relocated in eastern China.
– At least five people injured in Okinawa, with other reports indicating a slightly higher total across Japan.
– Tens of thousands of buildings temporarily left without power in Okinawa.
– More than 1,000 flights cancelled, including approximately 1,400 flights at Shanghai’s two main airports.
– Major port, ferry, school and tourist-site closures.
– Severe rainfall and urban flooding in Shanghai and surrounding provinces.
– Continuing risks of landslides and flash floods as the weakened storm moves inland.
At the time of publication, the casualty and damage figures were still being updated. The large-scale evacuations appear to have reduced the immediate threat to life, but the final impact will depend on the extent of flooding and landslides during the days following landfall.
Sources:
– Reuters – Typhoon Dolphin hits Japan’s Okinawa, China shuts ports ahead of landfall reuters.com
– Reuters – Typhoon Dolphin hits China’s east coast, over 1 million evacuated reuters.com
– BBC – China evacuates one million from homes as massive storm arrives bbc.com
– The Guardian – Typhoon Dolphin brings record rainfall to Shanghai theguardian.com
– NASA MODIS – Typhoon Dolphin, August 6, 2026 modis.gsfc.nasa.gov
– Reuters – Storms from Dolphin soak China’s east, disrupt life in Shanghai reuters.com
– BBC- Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan’s Okinawa before bearing … bbc.com
– Typhoon Dolphin hits eastern China, more than one million … aljazeera.com
– China upgrades meteorological emergency response, typhoon … english.www.gov.cn
