Photos of a typhoon passing through. Photo: VCG

Typhoon Dolphin is still far away from China and won't affect its waters before August 6. It is forecast to enter the East China Sea on August 8 via the Ryukyu Islands, where its moving speed will slow and its path will become less certain, an official from China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said on Tuesday.

Xiao Chan, a deputy director of the National Climate Center, said at a Tuesday conference that based on current assessments, Typhoon Dolphin could follow two possible tracks after passing through the Ryukyu Islands.

In the first scenario, the typhoon makes landfall, moves westward, weakens and then turns northward. It would continue westward over the East China Sea toward the coastal areas south of the Yangtze River estuary, making landfall around August 9 along the coast from the Yangtze River region to Zhejiang Province as a typhoon or strong typhoon. After landfall, it would move westward, gradually weaken and turn northward. This scenario would bring the earliest landfall and the strongest intensity, with strong winds and heavy rainfall expected in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangxi and Anhui.

In the second scenario, Typhoon Dolphin turns northward over the sea or skirts the coast, moves northward along the offshore waters of eastern China before making landfall or passing close to the coast from Jiangsu and Shanghai to the Shandong Peninsula between August 10 and 11 as a severe tropical storm. This scenario would bring heavy rainfall to eastern and northern China.

The development and track of Typhoon Dolphin are expected to become clearer around August 6. The China's National Meteorological Center will continue to monitor the typhoon's development and provide updated forecasts, warnings and related services, Xiao said.

China's National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center issued a wave forecast on Tuesday, saying that Typhoon Dolphin strengthened again into a super typhoon at around 2 pm on Tuesday, with maximum winds near its center reaching force 16, or 52 meters per second, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Forecasts showed that Typhoon Dolphin had just passed through an area of high sea surface temperatures, which was favorable for maintaining or further intensifying its strength. The typhoon is expected to move westward at a speed of 20-25 kilometers per hour, with its intensity likely to increase further.

Affected by Typhoon Dolphin, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center issued a wave alert. The 48-hour forecast showed that from Thursday morning to afternoon (August 6), the eastern East China Sea would see huge to high waves ranging from 5 to 8 meters, with the offshore wave warning level set at yellow.

As the typhoon continues to approach, sea conditions are expected to deteriorate. The 72-hour forecast indicated that from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon, the eastern East China Sea would experience high to phenomenal waves of 6 to 10 meters, raising the offshore wave warning level to orange. Coastal waters off Zhejiang are expected to see large waves of 2.5 to 3.5 meters, with the coastal wave warning level remaining yellow.

Global Times