Typhoon Dolphin floods eastern China after more than 1m people evacuated

Typhoon Dolphin has weakened after striking eastern China, but torrential rain, widespread flooding and rising rivers are extending the emergency far beyond the storm’s initial landfall in Zhejiang province. More than one million people were evacuated before Dolphin reached the coast, including over 900,000 residents around Wenzhou, while Shanghai experienced major transport disruption and flooded streets on August 10, 2026. The storm reached Zhejiang with sustained winds of about 151 kilometers per hour before weakening into a tropical storm, yet its enormous rain system continues moving inland and northward. Authorities have warned that dozens of rivers have exceeded warning levels and that flash floods and landslides could threaten additional provinces as the remnants interact with colder air.

Dolphin made its first landfall near Yuhuan in Taizhou on August 9 before crossing another section of the Zhejiang coastline near Yueqing roughly 70 minutes later. Coastal cities had already imposed emergency measures, suspended transport, recalled fishing vessels and moved hundreds of thousands of residents away from vulnerable areas.

By Monday morning, the system’s sustained winds had fallen to approximately 65 kilometers per hour, but the declining wind speed did not remove the flood danger. Eastern China remained under persistent rain as the weakened storm carried moisture into Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui and Shandong.

Flooding in Shanghai shows why the danger continued after Dolphin weakened inland

Shanghai experienced extensive waterlogging on August 10 as rain associated with Dolphin continued after the typhoon itself moved away from the coast. Streets in several districts flooded, with especially difficult conditions reported in suburban Jiading and Qingpu. Some businesses, schools, outdoor events and transport operations were allowed to suspend activity as authorities prepared for additional rainfall.

The city’s two major airports canceled 943 flights on Monday, reducing scheduled capacity by nearly 40%. That disruption followed more than 1,300 cancellations the previous day as authorities prepared for landfall. Airlines began trying to restore services gradually, but continuing wind and rain complicated the return to normal schedules.

The transport consequences extend beyond aviation. Railway services and ferries were suspended in parts of the Yangtze River Delta, while ports moved vessels into sheltered waters before the storm arrived. Wenzhou suspended classes, work, production, transport and business activities as part of its highest-level emergency response.

Dolphin also caused substantial wind damage in Zhejiang. Images from Wenzhou showed uprooted trees, collapsed structures and damaged vehicles, while crews began clearing debris and restoring power after the storm passed.

The transition from typhoon to tropical storm can create a misleading impression that the emergency has ended. Tropical cyclones frequently retain enormous quantities of atmospheric moisture after their strongest winds decline. When that moisture interacts with mountains, rivers or other weather systems, flooding can continue or even worsen well after landfall.

That is now the principal concern in eastern and central China. The wind threat is declining, but accumulated rainfall is saturating soil, filling drainage systems and pushing water levels higher across rivers and reservoirs.

More than one million evacuations reduced immediate risk but created massive disruption

Authorities evacuated more than one million people across eastern China before Dolphin reached the coast, reflecting the scale of the threat posed by its predicted rainfall and storm winds. Wenzhou alone relocated more than 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters. Shanghai moved at least 30,300 people from locations considered vulnerable to flooding, while Fujian evacuated nearly 99,000 residents from high-risk areas.

Taizhou also moved hundreds of thousands of residents while bringing all 3,815 fishing vessels operating in the area to protected waters. Offshore construction projects were suspended, and other coastal cities activated their highest emergency-response levels.

Large preventive evacuations can appear excessive when a storm weakens without producing catastrophic casualties. Their purpose, however, is to remove people before roads become submerged, hillsides fail or emergency services can no longer safely reach threatened neighborhoods.

The uncertainty surrounding tropical cyclone forecasts makes those decisions especially difficult. Authorities must relocate people based on projected rainfall and storm tracks before knowing exactly where the worst conditions will develop. Waiting until flooding begins can leave thousands trapped simultaneously.

Dolphin’s rainfall forecast justified the scale of the precautions. Parts of Zhejiang were expected to receive between 250 and 500 millimeters, or approximately 9.8 to 19.7 inches, of rain.

The evacuations also carry substantial economic costs. Businesses close, factories stop production, ports suspend operations and schools become temporary shelters. Families may spend several days away from their homes even when those properties ultimately escape serious damage.

Those costs have to be weighed against the consequences of leaving people in areas vulnerable to flash flooding and landslides. The storm’s widespread footprint makes that balance particularly challenging because officials cannot concentrate resources in one small coastal zone.

River warnings and the northward rain shift could extend the emergency beyond Zhejiang

One of the most important August 10 developments is that Dolphin’s threat is migrating rather than disappearing. Authorities reported that 74 rivers in the Taihu Lake basin and coastal eastern Zhejiang had already exceeded warning levels, increasing concern about smaller and medium-sized waterways in areas receiving persistent rainfall.

The Ministry of Water Resources activated additional flood responses for Hubei, Henan, Hebei and Shandong as forecasts showed heavy rainfall extending through August 16. Zhejiang remained under a higher Level III flood response, while other regions across eastern, central and northeastern China maintained emergency measures.

Beijing and surrounding areas are also preparing for heavier rain as Dolphin’s remaining circulation pushes moisture northward. Authorities warned that the capital could face significant rainfall from Tuesday through Thursday, including the possibility of flash flooding and landslides around mountainous districts.

This northward progression creates a different type of disaster risk. Coastal communities experienced the strongest winds and storm surge, but inland regions may receive enormous quantities of rain after the cyclone loses its recognizable tropical structure.

Dolphin’s circulation spans roughly 1,300 kilometers, helping explain why rainfall is affecting provinces far from the original landfall. Its remnants are expected to combine with colder air farther north, potentially producing another period of intense rainfall across Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.

The storm has already demonstrated a wide regional reach. It affected Okinawa before China, causing injuries and power outages, and also intensified seasonal monsoon rains around the Philippines despite not making direct landfall there. In northern Luzon, a landslide in Baguio killed five people, while the broader period of severe weather had left 15 people dead and approximately 98,000 displaced by August 10.

Dolphin’s unusual track adds pressure during an exceptionally active Pacific storm season

Dolphin is the strongest tropical cyclone to strike China so far in 2026. Before landfall, it traveled approximately 6,000 kilometers across the Pacific and survived around three times longer than an ordinary typhoon, contributing to the unusually broad cloud system now carrying rain across China.

Forecasters had already warned that the western North Pacific could experience elevated tropical cyclone activity this year. One seasonal assessment projects 28 tropical storms, including 20 typhoons and 13 intense typhoons, with strong El Niño conditions and weaker trade winds contributing to the active pattern.

China had experienced an unusually active July before Dolphin arrived. Five tropical cyclones formed over the western North Pacific and South China Sea during that month, with three making landfall in China. Meteorological authorities expect another six or seven systems to form during August.

Repeated storms create cumulative risks even when individual events are managed successfully. Reservoirs remain high, soil stays saturated and infrastructure receives less time for repair before the next period of extreme rain.

Urban drainage is another concern. Rapidly growing cities contain large areas of paved surfaces that prevent water from soaking naturally into the ground. When intense rainfall overwhelms drainage capacity, streets and underground transportation systems can flood quickly.

Coastal provinces must simultaneously protect ports, factories, power networks and densely populated residential districts. The Yangtze River Delta is one of China’s most economically important regions, meaning even precautionary closures can disrupt manufacturing and transport networks beyond the immediate disaster zone.

Dolphin therefore represents more than an isolated weather emergency. Its scale highlights the increasing importance of evacuation planning, drainage capacity, river monitoring and infrastructure capable of operating through repeated extreme-weather events.

Key takeaways from Typhoon Dolphin’s flooding and transport disruption across eastern China

• Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in Zhejiang on August 9 with sustained winds of approximately 151 kilometers per hour, making it China’s strongest typhoon of 2026 so far.
• More than one million people were evacuated across eastern China before landfall, including over 900,000 residents around Wenzhou.
• The storm weakened into a tropical storm on August 10, but heavy rainfall continued across Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces.
• Shanghai’s two airports canceled 943 flights on Monday after more than 1,300 flights had already been canceled during preparations for the storm.
• Flooding affected streets across Shanghai, while fallen trees and damaged structures were reported in parts of Zhejiang.
• Authorities reported that 74 rivers around the Taihu Lake basin and eastern Zhejiang had exceeded warning levels, increasing the threat of additional flooding.
• China expanded flood emergency responses into Hubei, Henan, Hebei and Shandong as Dolphin’s moisture began moving farther inland and northward.
• Beijing is preparing for heavy rainfall and possible flash floods as the remnants of Dolphin interact with colder air farther north.
• Dolphin traveled roughly 6,000 kilometers before reaching China and developed an unusually large circulation that is prolonging its rainfall impact.
• The storm underscores the growing importance of flood defenses, evacuation systems and resilient infrastructure during an unusually active western Pacific typhoon season.