Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall: China evacuates millions amidst flooding, heavy rain

Beijing [China], August 10 (ANI): Authorities in China have evacuated hundreds of thousands of people along its east coast after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall, bringing with it heavy rain and flooding, state media reported on Monday.

Xinhua reported that as of 7 am (local time) today, about 167,900 people had been moved from vulnerable areas on land and at sea in Fujian Province. By late Sunday, Shanghai had evacuated around 215,600 people from areas considered at risk.

Dolphin was the 13th typhoon of this year and, according to China's National Meteorological Centre (NMC), made two landfalls in Zhejiang Province on Sunday.

While authorities have downgraded Dolphin to a tropical storm, they continue to warn of torrential rains, severe flooding and the risk of landslides through to Wednesday

Authorities issued a blue typhoon warning on Monday morning, forecasting persistent heavy rainfall through Wednesday in regions including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Henan and Hebei. Some areas are likely to experience torrential rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, as per Xinhua.

The storm moved over a long distance of 6,000km before making landfall, suggesting a lifespan of more than three times that of an average typhoon, according to China's state broadcaster CCTV.

The Chinese state media cited the NMC as saying that from Thursday, the remnants of the typhoon are expected to move northward and interact with cold air, bringing significant rainfall to Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Liaoning.

Meteorological experts warned that the typhoon could raise the risk of flooding and other disasters in some areas, calling for strengthened defences against geological disasters and flooding in small and medium-sized rivers.

Beijing's flood control authorities said that the city plans to activate a Level II flood response on Tuesday morning.

Dolphin brought torrential rains to the Philippines, parts of northern Taiwan and Japan's Okinawa island before its landfall in China. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)