China braces for Typhoon Dolphin, closing schools and tourist sites

Authorities in eastern China closed schools and tourist sites on Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin approached the country’s coast, amid warnings of heavy rain that could trigger floods and landslides.

Typhoon Dolphin struck Japan’s Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring five people and cutting power to approximately 14,000 buildings. Meanwhile, China closed ports and ferry routes in preparation for the storm’s arrival on its eastern coast.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were estimated at around 162 kilometers per hour (101 miles per hour). Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture are expected to be among the hardest-hit areas in Japan.

The typhoon is forecast to bring heavy rainfall, heightening the risk of severe flooding and landslides in China. It is expected to hit Zhejiang Province and the northern parts of neighboring Fujian Province late on Sunday evening, with Shanghai also lying within the storm’s projected path.

Chinese national authorities announced the activation of the third-level emergency response, the second-lowest tier in the emergency response system.

Authorities also closed several tourist destinations in Zhejiang on Saturday and Sunday, and suspended all water-based activities, including ferry services and sea cruises.

In Ningbo, one of the province’s largest cities, authorities ordered the closure of schools and other educational facilities over the weekend in anticipation of the typhoon’s impacts.