Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in eastern China: over 1 million evacuated

Timeline

1. August 29, 2026

   Typhoon Saudel weakened rapidly after its double landfall in Zhejiang, dropping to a severe tropical storm (winds around 108 km/h) and forecast to weaken further into a tropical depression by 29-30 August as it tracks inland. Major Shanghai-area terminals reopened during the afternoon of 28 August (Waigaoqiao at 12:00, Yangshan at 14:00, Ningbo terminals at 15:00, with container yards and warehouses also resuming), and Ningbo's emergency response was stepped down from Level I to Level II while Shanghai remained at Level II. Barge terminals at Taizhou, Wenzhou and Jiaxing remained suspended, though inland ports such as Zhenjiang and Nanjing stayed operational throughout. No casualties or major damage have been reported from Saudel's landfall.

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2. August 28, 2026

   Typhoon Saudel made its first landfall at Yuhuan, Taizhou (Zhejiang) around 8:05am with sustained winds of 35 m/s (126 km/h), then a second landfall near Wenzhou around 9:10am with winds of 33 m/s (119 km/h). Zhejiang activated its highest-level (Level I) typhoon alert; Fujian evacuated about 247,700 residents backed by 80,000 emergency personnel. Ningbo Lishe Airport suspended operations with 44 flights cancelled, Wenzhou grounded 197 flights, and Shanghai's ferry operator suspended all routes except one river crossing; Air China and China Southern offered free rebooking and refunds Thursday-Saturday. No casualties or major damage had been reported as of landfall.

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3. August 27, 2026

   Ahead of Typhoon Saudel's forecast landfall, Zhejiang suspended rail services and closed tourism sites, while roughly 11,000 fishing vessels sheltered in Fujian ports. Shanghai and Shenzhen airports and ferry operators began cancelling flights and sailings as the storm closed in on the coast, extending the disruption seen with the earlier Typhoon Gaenari landfall on 24 August.

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4. August 25, 2026

   Typhoon Gaenari made landfall Aug 24 near Quanzhou, Fujian, with Force 8 winds (~18 m/s) and is now weakening as it moves inland/northwest, with no casualties or major damage reported. China remains at Level IV emergency response due to three simultaneous typhoons offshore (Gaenari, Narra, Saudel), and heavy rain is forecast along the Zhejiang/Fujian coast for the next few days. Zhejiang and Shanghai have not reported direct typhoon landfall or major transport disruption from Gaenari. Travelers to Fujian coastal areas should expect lingering heavy rain and localized flooding risk through midweek.

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5. August 24, 2026

   Typhoon Gaenari, the 20th named storm of the 2026 Pacific season, made landfall around 12:30pm local time near Zhangban Township in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, with maximum sustained winds of 18 m/s (Force 8) near its centre. It follows Typhoon Narra, which brought heavy rain to southern and coastal China earlier in the week. China renewed rainstorm and typhoon alerts across Fujian and other coastal provinces on 24 August, with a Level IV emergency response activated as three typhoons churned near China's coast simultaneously. Impact on Zhejiang and Shanghai specifically has not yet been confirmed; travelers in Fujian and neighbouring coastal provinces should expect flight, rail and ferry disruption and monitor official typhoon bulletins.

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6. August 11, 2026

   Local typhoon emergency warnings in the Shanghai and Ningbo areas were lifted on 11 August, with offices and operations returning to normal. Residual disruption to flights, rail and ferry services may continue as backlogs clear; confirm schedules directly with operators before travelling.

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7. August 10, 2026

   Typhoon Dolphin pummelled eastern China after landfall, with more than one million people evacuated overall, including about 900,000 relocated in Wenzhou and roughly 390,000 evacuated in Taizhou. Flood and landslide warnings remain in effect in affected coastal and inland areas.

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8. August 9, 2026

   Typhoon Dolphin made a first landfall near Yuhuan, eastern Zhejiang, around 5:30pm, followed by a second landfall near Wenzhou around 6:40pm, with maximum sustained winds of 151 km/h (Category 1 hurricane equivalent). China issued a red alert; Shanghai evacuated at least 30,300 people and cancelled about 1,400 flights, about 98,900 people were evacuated in Fujian, over 200 ferry routes were suspended, and train services were disrupted across Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Anhui and Jiangxi.

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