BEIJING – As powerful Typhoon Dolphin barrels toward the eastern coastline of China, local government agencies have enacted sweeping precautionary measures, closing educational institutions and popular tourist attractions ahead of the storm’s expected landfall this weekend. The tropical cyclone, which is packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour (101 miles per hour), is forecast to make landfall late Sunday along the coasts of Zhejiang Province and the northern section of neighboring Fujian Province. Major Chinese metropolis Shanghai also lies directly in the storm’s projected path. Meteorological and disaster management officials warn that the system will dump extremely heavy rainfall across the region, elevating the risk of catastrophic flash flooding and dangerous landslides that threaten both life and infrastructure. In response to the approaching threat, China’s central emergency management authorities activated a Level III emergency response, the second-lowest tier of the country’s four-tier national emergency classification system. Preparations to mitigate risk have been carried out across multiple regions: all coastal and inland tourist destinations across Zhejiang will remain closed through Saturday and Sunday, with all water-based recreational and commercial activities — including inter-island ferries and passenger cruise operations — suspended for the duration of the storm. In Ningbo, one of Zhejiang’s largest and most economically important port cities, municipal education officials have ordered all public and private schools and other educational facilities to close for the entire weekend to keep students and staff out of harm’s way. Local disaster response teams have been deployed to conduct pre-storm inspections of flood control infrastructure, evacuate at-risk communities in low-lying and mountainous zones, and stockpile emergency supplies including food, water, and temporary shelter materials ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Eastern China braces for Typhoon Dolphin, shutting schools and tourist activities
