China evacuates 1.1 million as Typhoon Dolphin hits

China has evacuated more than a million people as Typhoon Dolphin slammed into eastern regions including Shanghai, forcing airports to close and submerging roads under floodwater. The storm made landfall with winds reaching 150 km/h, uprooting trees, damaging buildings and knocking out power for tens of thousands. Local authorities issued red alerts—the highest warning level—as heavy rain raised immediate flood and landslide risks across Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.

This is the third typhoon to hit China in a month, part of an unusually active late-summer storm season driven by above-average sea temperatures in the western Pacific. Meteorologists link the surge to a strong La Niña pattern, which typically fuels more intense tropical cyclones in the region. Shanghai, a global financial hub, is especially vulnerable because much of the city sits barely above sea level, amplifying flood risk even from moderate storms. Earlier this year, Typhoon Doksuri killed at least two people and caused billions in damage across southern China.

More than 5,000 flights were canceled or delayed at Shanghai’s airports, stranding travelers as ground transport ground to a halt. Ferry services were suspended, and high-speed rail lines slowed to reduce wind risks. Local media reported at least two deaths—one from a falling tree and another from drowning in a flooded village in Zhejiang. Over 400,000 homes lost power, and emergency crews worked through the night to clear debris and pump water from streets. Flood alerts were issued for dozens of rivers already swollen from weeks of monsoon rains.

Officials warn that Dolphin’s remnants could stall over inland areas, prolonging heavy rain through mid-week and raising the threat of flash flooding in hilly regions. Recovery teams are preparing for search-and-rescue operations in worst-hit towns, while power companies say full restoration could take days. The storm underscores the growing cost of climate-linked extreme weather, with China’s coastal cities bracing for more intense typhoons as ocean temperatures continue to rise.