More than 1,000 fishing boats take shelter at Ruoshan Fishing Port in Wenling, East China's Zhejiang Province, on August 5, 2026, as Typhoon Dolphin approaches. Photo: VCG

Authorities across Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Fujian have ramped up emergency measures as Typhoon Dolphin approaches China's eastern coast, with multiple cities in Zhejiang and Fujian suspending work, transport, and ferry services.

China's meteorological authority on Saturday upgraded its emergency response for Typhoon Dolphin to Level III and raised the typhoon warning from yellow to orange as the 13th typhoon of 2026 moves closer to the country's eastern coast, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Saturday.

Typhoon Dolphin was located about 500 kilometers east of Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, at 10 am on Saturday, packing maximum winds of 45 meters per second and classified as a strong typhoon, according to Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, Beijing Daily reported on Saturday. 

The typhoon is expected to bring strong winds to Zhejiang from Saturday to Monday, with gusts reaching force 13 to 16 in parts of the East China Sea and exceeding force 16 near the storm's center, said Jia Yan, chief forecaster at the Zhejiang Meteorological Observatory. 

Heavy rain is expected to continue through Wednesday, with the heaviest downpours forecast from Saturday night into Monday.

Meteorological authority warned that the powerful, large-scale storm could sweep across Zhejiang, bringing prolonged strong winds and heavy rain to both coastal and inland areas, and urged precautions against potential typhoon-related disasters.

In order to minimize the impact of the typhoon, Zhejiang ordered the suspension of all port operations and passenger ferry services along the province's coast as of 8 am on Saturday, while work at all 193 water-related construction projects had been halted. A total of 474 construction vessels had also been moved to safe waters to shelter from the typhoon, according to reports from CCTV News.

Zhejiang has also suspended or postponed 23 cultural and tourism events across the province in response to the typhoon. Tourism authorities have issued typhoon alerts to all travel agencies, with 1,698 tourists relocated and 364 tour groups advised to cancel their trips, according to media reports.

So far, a total of 294 cultural and tourism venues and 230 high-risk tourism projects have been closed. All 37 coastal scenic areas were shut down from 6 pm on Thursday, while 155 water-related tourist attractions were closed from 6 pm on Friday.

As of noon on Saturday, 40 passenger ferry routes along the coast of East China's Fujian Province had been suspended, with 76 passenger vessels taken out of service. All 115 coastal water construction projects in Fujian had also been suspended, and 290 construction vessels had been moved to safe waters. Meanwhile, the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration imposed traffic controls at the northern and southern entrances of the Taiwan Straits, according to CCTV News.

Meanwhile, Shanghai, which is close to Zhejiang, has stepped up preparations for the typhoon, with Pudong New Area planning to relocate around 103,000 residents and Chongming District setting up 378 temporary shelters ready for emergency use, according to the news outletthepaper.cn.

Ferry services in Shanghai were suspended at 1:58 pm on Saturday due to Typhoon Dolphin, CCTV News reported, citing the city's ferry operator.

Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang Province announced it would suspend all flight operations from 11:30 pm on Saturday through Sunday due to the typhoon. The airport said resumption timing would be announced based on the typhoon's development and impact, domestic media outlet Jiemian News reported.

The report said that flights in cities including Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai have been particularly affected by the storm. Major Chinese carriers, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines, have issued waivers allowing passengers with tickets purchased by Friday to change or cancel affected flights at no extra cost.

The Legoland Shanghai Resort announced that it will end operations from 6 pm on Sunday due to safety concerns amid the approaching typhoon. The resort said operations may be adjusted based on weather conditions and government guidance.

Shanghai Disney Resort also announced that due to the impact of the typhoon, the resort will close at 8 pm on Sunday, while Disneytown will suspend operations from 9 pm on the day. 

The resort said some outdoor attractions and shows may be temporarily closed or canceled under severe weather conditions.

Global Times