Chinese authorities have evacuated more than one million people from eastern China, including Shanghai, as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall. The typhoon brought heavy rain and disrupted transport across the region. Nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled in Shanghai today.

 

Authorities have downgraded Dolphin to a tropical storm. China had earlier issued its highest-level red alert for Dolphin, which is the strongest storm to hit the country this year. Dolphin had maximum wind speeds of 150 kilometres per hour when it first struck Yuhuan in Zhejiang province yesterday. 

 

Heavy rain has been forecast for Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Shanghai is also expected to receive heavy rainfall. Authorities have urged people to avoid outdoor activities. Several major tourist attractions remain closed. These include parts of Disneyland and Legoland, as well as several viewing platforms along Shanghai’s Bund. State media footage showed ground-floor businesses flooded in Shanghai’s former French Concession. The area is popular with tourists. People were also seen wading through ankle-deep floodwaters.