Tropical Storm Dolphin disrupts travel, prompts evacuations in China

Tropical Storm Dolphin brought widespread disruption to eastern China and the Philippines after making landfall as a typhoon on Sunday, August 9, 2026, forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights, suspending rail services, and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. The storm, which weakened from a typhoon upon hitting Zhejiang province, continued to dump heavy rain, causing flooding and raising the risk of landslides across the region.

Dolphin made landfall Sunday evening in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, with sustained winds of 151 kilometers per hour, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The storm had previously brought heavy rain to northern Taiwan over the weekend. In preparation for its arrival, Chinese authorities issued the country's highest storm alert, a red warning, and upgraded their emergency response to Level II on Sunday.

The impact on transportation was immediate and extensive. Shanghai Airport Group reported that more than 1,300 flights were cancelled at the city's Hongqiao and Pudong airports on Sunday, August 9, accounting for about 60 percent of scheduled services. The disruption continued into Monday, August 10, with...