Authorities reported that five elderly individuals, three of whom fell due to the high winds, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa. Another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture.
Nearly 39,000 buildings in Kagoshima lost power, while just over 12,000 were affected in Okinawa. Domestic airlines, including ANA and Japan Airlines, cancelled flights to and from Okinawa.
The typhoon recorded maximum sustained winds of 162 kph (89.5 mph), with gusts reaching up to 216 kph.
Okinawa and Amami island in Kagoshima prefecture are the primary areas expected to feel the storm’s impact in Japan.
In China, where the typhoon is forecasted to make landfall between late Sunday and early Monday, authorities have classified Dolphin as an orange-category typhoon — the second-highest classification.
Due to concerns about potential flooding and landslides, authorities elevated the emergency response level for Dolphin to level III, which is the second-lowest level.
The typhoon is expected to make landfall between Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province and Fuding city in Fujian province, with winds of 38-45 metres per second (85-101 mph) near its center, according to China’s National Meteorological Center.
Ports and airports halt operations
Rain and strong winds are projected to impact eastern China through August 12, affecting areas in Shanghai and surrounding provinces. Forecasters predict that some regions of eastern Zhejiang could receive over 600 mm (23.6 inches) of rainfall.
Zhejiang has raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level and has suspended port operations. Authorities in eastern and southern China have also halted ferry services, suspended certain construction projects, and ordered fishing vessels back to port.
Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang announced it would suspend all flights on Sunday. By late Friday, Shanghai’s Yangshan port had removed all vessels, while some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta will cease operations from Sunday.
Beijing officials indicated they are closely monitoring the typhoon’s trajectory and preparing flood-control and evacuation plans for the capital.
In Taiwan, the government reported that 78 flights, predominantly international, were cancelled due to the typhoon. Heavy rain is anticipated in the northern regions of the island over the weekend; however, authorities had not issued evacuation orders as of Saturday.
China has mandated that ships navigating the Taiwan Strait observe its traffic control regulations due to the typhoon—actions that Taipei has criticized as “ridiculous,” asserting that Beijing has no authority to restrict access to international waters.
China considers democratically governed Taiwan to be its territory and claims the critical waterway. Both Taipei and Washington contest this assertion.
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