WorldTyphoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall on the ‌country's eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides.Storm could bring up to 500 mm of rain in parts of Zhejiang provinceThomson Reuters · Posted: Aug 09, 2026 8:35 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.A resident wades through floodwaters at a residential compound following heavy rainfall as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, in Shanghai on Aug. 9. (CNSphoto/Reuters)Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall on the ‌country's eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides. The typhoon has already swept through Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings.Typhoon Dolphin made landfall near Yuhuan in eastern Zhejiang province at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, China's meteorological authorities said. The storm ​packed maximum sustained winds of 42 metres per second (151 km/h) near its ​centre at landfall, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.Authorities had moved offshore workers to safety, ordered vessels back to port and increased checks at reservoirs, mountain streams, landslide-prone areas, construction sites and tourist ​locations.More than 700,000 evacuated as Typhoon Noul makes landfall in southern ChinaTorrential rain and flood riskTorrential rain is forecast through August 10 across Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern ⁠Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and ⁠much of Jiangsu. Parts of central and eastern Zhejiang could receive ‌250 to 500 millimetres of rain, according to forecasters.After landfall, Dolphin is forecast to track westward before slowing over central and southwestern China and gradually losing strength, Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Centre, told state broadcaster CCTV.That could prolong heavy rain and raise the risk of flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous areas and along smaller rivers.WATCH | When a major typhoon hit the Philippines, Taiwan in 2025: Typhoon Fung-wong was bigger than all of the Philippines — is that normal?November 18, 2025|Duration 1:31Super Typhoon Fung-wong was massive — nearly 1,800 kilometres across, covering almost the entire Philippine archipelago. But it wasn’t just its size that made it dangerous. CBC’s Johanna Wagstaffe looks into how back-to-back storms, weakened infrastructure, and political controversy turned this cyclone into a disaster waiting to happen.Transport was ⁠widely disrupted across the east of the country and more than one million people were evacuated from their homes.In addition to evacuating at least 30,300 people, Shanghai has cancelled about 1,500 flights, according to flight-tracking data provider VariFlight.A 42-year-old tourist from Guangdong, surnamed Chen, said he was stranded in ‌Shanghai after his family's flight, scheduled to depart on Sunday, was cancelled because of Typhoon Dolphin.He said the family had been rebooked on a flight at 10 p.m. on Monday, although they were unsure whether it would be able to take off."To us Guangdong people, this typhoon is as ordinary as having a meal and feeling the wind. It's ​just part of everyday life," Chen said, adding that the storm did not appear particularly strong by the standards of China's southern coast.El Niño is here, and it’s already looking like it could be 'mind-blowing'In neighbouring Zhejiang province, the city of Wenzhou relocated ⁠more than 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters.In Fujian province, authorities evacuated 98,900 people from high-risk areas after raising ⁠the typhoon emergency response to Level 3, according to Xinhua. Zhejiang, Shanghai and Jiangsu have also activated Level 3 emergency responses.Fujian maritime ⁠authorities ⁠said 55 coastal passenger ferry routes had been suspended, ​all 115 offshore construction projects halted and 290 construction vessels moved to sheltered waters.People stand next to huge waves crashing on a waterfront as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, in Sanmen County, China, on Aug. 8. (CNSPhoto/Reuters)The Water Resources Ministry said the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers ​could see major flooding, while smaller rivers ⁠in the hardest-hit areas could rise above warning levels.Authorities warned of a high risk of geological disasters in parts of Zhejiang, while residents in areas covered by a red mountain-torrent warning were told to follow local evacuation orders.Shanghai's Yangshan port cleared ships from its berths and moved more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to shelter ahead of Dolphin, the city's maritime safety administration said.Scientists say global warming has made extreme weather more likely, ⁠including stronger typhoons.