Over 1 million evacuated as Typhoon Dolphin batters eastern China VIDEO

Chinese authorities have evacuated more than 1 million people across eastern China, including Shanghai, as Typhoon Dolphin brought torrential rain, severe flooding and widespread transport disruptions, BBC reports.

Nearly 1,000 flights were canceled in Shanghai on August 10, while authorities warned of continued heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides through August 12 as the storm moves north.

Dolphin was downgraded to a tropical storm after becoming the strongest storm to hit China this year. It packed maximum winds of 150 km/h (94 mph) when it first made landfall in Yuhuan, Zhejiang province, at 5:30 p.m. local time on August 9, before striking Wenzhou about an hour later, according to meteorological authorities.

Heavy rain was forecast for Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Shanghai. Authorities urged residents to avoid outdoor activities, while major tourist attractions, including parts of Disneyland and Legoland, remained closed.

State media footage showed flooded ground-floor businesses in Shanghai’s former French Concession and people wading through ankle-deep water. A nine-year-old boy in Zhejiang’s Wenling was reported missing after being swept into the sea, although Chinese authorities have not confirmed any deaths.

In Wenzhou, around 900,000 residents were relocated and more than 1,000 emergency shelters opened. Another 390,000 people were evacuated in Taizhou. Parts of Zhejiang could receive between 250 and 500 mm of rain in the coming days.

The typhoon also disrupted maritime transport in Fujian, where dozens of ferry routes were suspended and more than 100 offshore construction projects halted.

State broadcaster said Dolphin traveled about 6,000 km before landfall, giving it a lifespan more than three times that of an average typhoon, while also noting its “massive circulation size and intense rainfall capacity.”

The storm previously affected the Philippines, northern Taiwan and Japan’s Okinawa. Eight people have died in the Philippines, while five elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong recorded a record-high temperature of 36.9°C on August 9 as Dolphin pushed warm air across the city.

By Vafa Guliyeva