China cancels 216 flights, evacuates 100,000 ahead of Typhoon Dolphin

Typhoon Dolphin forced China’s hand on Sunday night, prompting the National Meteorological Centre to raise the country’s top-level red alert as the storm churned toward the eastern coast. Hundreds of flights in and out of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces were grounded, and local governments ordered the evacuation of nearly 100,000 people from low-lying villages and coastal resorts. Forecasters said the typhoon could reach land late Sunday or early Monday, packing winds above 120 kilometres per hour and dumping up to 300 millimetres of rain.

China’s east coast braces for typhoons every summer, but Dolphin arrived at an unusually tense moment. The region’s ports, factories and shipping lanes are already running near capacity ahead of peak export season, and a direct hit could ripple through global supply chains. Recent heavy rains have left soils saturated, raising the risk of deadly landslides even inland. Last year, Typhoon Doksuri killed 47 people and caused more than $16 billion in damage after slamming into Fujian, so the rapid escalation to red alert reflects both the storm’s intensity and memories of last season’s destruction.

By Sunday evening, state media showed bulldozers reinforcing sea walls in Wenzhou, while fishing boats in Ningbo were ordered to stay in port. The civil aviation authority said 216 flights had been cancelled at Ningbo Lishe International Airport alone, and high-speed rail services between Shanghai and Fuzhou faced delays. Local officials opened 349 temporary shelters, yet officials privately admit that some rural communities may be cut off if roads wash out. The weather service warned that storm surges could push seawater up to two metres above normal tide levels, putting entire townships at risk of flooding.

What happens next depends on how quickly Dolphin weakens over cooler waters or veers north. If it maintains strength, the typhoon could stall over Zhejiang’s industrial belt, paralysing electronics and textile plants for days. Authorities have already postponed school exams in several cities and told businesses to shut down by midnight Sunday. With China’s leadership under pressure to show disaster readiness ahead of next month’s mid-autumn holiday travel rush, every hour counts.