Typhoon Dolphin Hits China, One Million Evacuated

Dolphin was unusual in both size and length of life. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV (China Central Television) said the storm travelled about 6,000 kilometres before it reached land, giving it a life more than three times longer than an average typhoon. CCTV also described its very wide circulation. The storm affected other places too: its outer edges brought rain to northern Taiwan on Saturday, and some Taiwanese airlines cancelled flights to China. Dolphin never landed in the Philippines, but it made seasonal monsoon rains stronger, flooding much of northern Luzon.

The damage to daily life in China was serious, and Shanghai's two airports cancelled about 60 percent of Sunday's flights. Wenzhou moved around 900,000 residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters, while about 390,000 people left Taizhou. Parts of Disneyland and Legoland closed, and viewing platforms along Shanghai's Bund were shut. State media showed water up to people's ankles in an old part of the city. In Fujian, officials stopped dozens of ferry routes. Several state outlets reported that a nine-year-old boy in Wenling is missing after the sea swept him away, though officials have not reported any casualties. Forecasters warned of heavy rain and landslides until Wednesday.