Storms from Typhoon Dolphin soak China's east

Typhoon Dolphin unleashed torrential rains and fierce winds across eastern China, disrupting daily life in Shanghai and surrounding regions. As of Monday morning, the typhoon had left streets submerged in water, forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights, and prompted mass evacuations in multiple provinces. The storm, which made landfall in Zhejiang province on Sunday evening, brought with it maximum sustained winds of 151 km/h, marking it as the strongest typhoon to strike China this year. Its impact extended well beyond the initial point of contact, with heavy rainfall continuing to affect Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces. Residents in Shanghai’s suburban districts of Jiading and Qingpu found themselves wading through knee-deep water early Monday, as live-stream footage captured the extent of the flooding. Social media platforms buzzed with images of submerged streets and vehicles, with one popular hashtag reading “Shanghai turns into the sea.” The city’s two major airports canceled a combined total of 943 flights, significantly reducing air traffic and straining travel plans for thousands of passengers. Meanwhile, public transportation systems faced disruptions, with many local trains suspended in the financial hub. Across Zhejiang, the situation was equally dire. Authorities reported relocating more than 900,000 people from high-risk areas, opening over 1,500 emergency shelters to accommodate them. In Wenzhou, a coastal city within the province, a video posted on TikTok showed a truck overturned by strong winds and heavy rain, though the fate of the driver remained unclear. The typhoon’s intensity was underscored by the sheer volume of rainfall recorded, nearly 313 mm in central Shanghai alone over a 24-hour period, setting a record for the city’s highest rainfall in over 150 years of meteorological data. The typhoon’s path was not limited to China. Earlier in the week, Dolphin had swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six individuals and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. In the Philippines, although the storm did not make direct landfall, it exacerbated seasonal monsoon rains, leading to flooding in northern Luzon, particularly around Manila. Across the Pacific, the typhoon also affected Hong Kong, where temperatures soared to a record high of 36.9 degrees Celsius, with officials warning of prolonged heatwaves. As the storm moved northward, concerns grew about potential flooding and landslides in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. Authorities in the capital raised alerts for torrential rain, preparing to activate flood control measures. Meteorologists predicted that some areas could receive between 200 and 400 mm of rainfall over the following days, adding pressure to infrastructure and emergency services. While the focus remained on China, other parts of the world were also grappling with severe weather. In western Canada, an 80-year-old woman lost her life attempting to escape a wildfire near Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. The Summerland fire, which ignited on Friday, had forced the evacuation of over 20,000 people. Firefighters worked tirelessly to contain the blaze, which had consumed 10,000 acres and damaged or destroyed more than 900 homes. Despite the challenges posed by hot, dry conditions, crews managed to halt the spread of flames, allowing some evacuated communities to begin returning to their homes. Meanwhile, in Greece, a new wildfire broke out southeast of Athens, fueled by winds exceeding 70 km/h. Firefighters deployed 172 personnel and numerous vehicles to combat the blaze, which threatened the nearby village of Agios Stylianos. This marked the second major fire in the region this summer, following a previous incident that devastated over 11,000 hectares of forest and farmland. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such fires to climate change, a trend observed across the Mediterranean region. As the effects of Typhoon Dolphin continued to unfold, the interconnected nature of global weather patterns became evident. From the flooded streets of Shanghai to the scorched landscapes of Canada and Greece, the storm served as a stark reminder of the growing challenges posed by extreme weather events. With forecasts indicating further rainfall in central China and ongoing efforts to manage wildfires elsewhere, the coming days promise to test the resilience of communities worldwide.