Flight cancellations, evacuations as China braces for Typhoon Dolphin

China braces for Typhoon Dolphin as it approaches eastern coast

China is preparing for the arrival of Typhoon Dolphin, which is expected to make landfall on the country's eastern coast, bringing intense rain and powerful winds to densely populated areas. Authorities have cancelled more than 1,600 flights and evacuated approximately 500,000 people, according to Al Jazeera.

The typhoon is set to arrive overnight, with sustained winds of up to 162km/h (101mph) before weakening and moving inland, as reported by Al Jazeera. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) has issued a red typhoon alert, its severest warning, according to the same source.

In preparation, ferry routes have been suspended, construction halted, and fishermen evacuated, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Drones have also been deployed to patrol over the sea. The typhoon is expected to land between Zhejiang province and northern Fujian, according to the National Meteorological Centre, as cited by the South China Morning Post.

Coverage comparison

Reporting on Typhoon Dolphin has focused on the scale of the disruption and the preparedness measures underway. Al Jazeera has highlighted the extensive cancellations and evacuations, framing the typhoon's approach as causing severe disruptions. The South China Morning Post has emphasized the preparations by coastal provinces, including the suspension of ferry routes and halting of construction, with a more informational tone.

Both outlets note the typhoon's impact on the region, though they differ in some details. Al Jazeera reports that the NMC issued a red alert, the most severe on its scale, while the South China Morning Post mentions a yellow alert, the third-strongest on a four-tier scale. The discrepancy may reflect different timing or updates in the storm's progression. Both reports agree on the expected landfall area between Zhejiang and northern Fujian, and both note the suspension of ferry services, though with varying numbers.

Key claims

• More than 1,600 flights have been cancelled, including nearly 1,400 at Shanghai's Hongqiao and Pudong airports and 270 at Hangzhou's airport, as reported by Al Jazeera, citing state broadcaster CCTV.
• Approximately 500,000 people have been evacuated from riskier areas: about 390,000 in Taizhou, Zhejiang, and more than 30,000 in Shanghai, as well as roughly 99,000 in Fujian, according to Al Jazeera, citing Xinhua.
• Ferry routes have been suspended, with over 200 ferry services halted in Zhejiang and Fujian, as reported by Al Jazeera citing Xinhua, while the South China Morning Post reports 162 ferry routes halted in Zhejiang alone.
• The typhoon has grown to nearly 13 times the size of Zhejiang, according to meteorologist Shen Yuyang, as cited by the South China Morning Post.
• The NMC has forecast "extraordinary torrential rain" in parts of central and eastern Zhejiang, with rainfall of 250mm to 500mm (9.8-19.8 inches), as reported by Al Jazeera. Torrential rain is also expected across Shanghai, northern Fujian, northeastern Jiangxi, central and southern Anhui, and much of Jiangsu.
• The outer bands of the storm have hit northern Taiwan, and the typhoon swept through Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture over the weekend, as reported by Al Jazeera.