Shanghai cancels 1,300 flights as Typhoon Dolphin hits China’s eastern coast

BEIJING (AP) — Typhoon Dolphin hit China’s eastern coast Sunday evening after forcing over 300,000 people to preemptively relocate and Shanghai’s two airports to cancel more than 1,300 flights. The storm brought heavy rains to northern Taiwan the day before.

The storm hit the city of Taizhou in Zhejiang province and the northern parts of neighboring Fujian province Sunday evening, bringing strong winds, estimated at 151 kilometers per hour (93 mph) when it made landfall, and massive waves to the city’s coastline. Heavy rains have created a risk of severe flooding in Zhejiang, and authorities have warned of severe landslide risks.

Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled about 60% of Sunday’s expected flights, according to the Paper, the city’s state media.

Forecasters in China predicted that areas could see 200-400 mm (7.9–15.7 inches) of rainfall over the next few days.

The outer bands of the storm on Saturday hit northern Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, bringing rain. Some Taiwanese airlines also canceled their flights to China on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, authorities in Zhejiang evacuated some 390,000 people in the city of Taizhou. Authorities in Shanghai evacuated more than 30,000 people from riskier areas.

Zhejiang authorities also suspended all water-based activities, including ferries and cruises.

Earlier, in the Philippines, Dolphin did not make landfall in the country’s north, but it helped intensify seasonal monsoon rains, which flooded many areas of the main northern Luzon region, including the densely populated capital region of metropolitan Manila.

More than 12,000 people were displaced by the floods and torrential rains and several northern cities and towns shut down schools on Friday and Saturday, disaster-response officials said on Sunday.

The monsoon rains were preceded by a tropical storm, which left at least six people dead, including four villagers, who were killed last week in a landslide and a rockslide in the provinces of Benguet and Rizal in Luzon, Philippine officials said.