China has suspended airport, flight and rail services in parts of the east as authorities step up preparations for powerful Typhoon Dolphin, which is expected to make landfall along the coast early next week.
Ports in Zhejiang and Fujian have been closed, while 162 ferry routes have been suspended as the storm moves towards eastern China. Several airports and rail services have also halted operations, including Ningbo Lishe International Airport.
The disruption follows the typhoon’s passage through Japan’s Okinawa on Saturday, where it brought sustained winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour and gusts of 216 kilometres per hour. The storm also caused widespread power outages and flight cancellations.
China has raised its typhoon emergency response to Level III and issued an orange alert, the country’s second-highest warning. Authorities are forecasting heavy rain across Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai, with some areas expected to receive more than 600 millimetres of rainfall.
Bloomberg reported that transport restrictions were being expanded as authorities prepared for the storm, with air and rail services among those affected.
Dolphin is expected to make landfall between Zhoushan in Zhejiang and Fuding in Fujian from Sunday night into early Monday. The storm could bring further disruption, along with risks of flooding and landslides in affected areas.
