Typhoon Dolphin battered Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring five people and cutting power to about 14,000 buildings, as China shut ports and ferry routes ahead of the storm’s expected landfall on its eastern coast.
The typhoon was about 160 km (99 miles) northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa at 0300 GMT, moving northwest at 15 kph (9 mph), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Five elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including three who fell due to the strong winds, the Okinawa prefectural government said. Airlines including ANA and Japan Airlines also cancelled flights to the region.
Dolphin had maximum sustained winds of 162 kph (101 mph), with gusts reaching 216 kph (134 mph), while Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture remained among the areas expected to be affected.
Attention has now shifted towards China, where the National Meteorological Centre expects Dolphin to make landfall between late Sunday and early Monday, most likely between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province.
In preparation, Zhejiang raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level, halted port operations and suspended 162 passenger ferry routes. Ningbo Lishe International Airport said it would suspend operations from late Saturday, while Shanghai’s Yangshan port had cleared vessels by Friday evening.
Reuters reported that the storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds across eastern China through Aug 12, with parts of eastern Zhejiang potentially receiving more than 600 mm of rain.
The disruption has also extended to Taiwan, where 63 international flights were cancelled, and heavy rain was forecast in northern areas over the weekend.
