Over A MILLION People Evacuated As China's Strongest Typhoon This Year Brings Record-Breaking Floods

Eastern China is facing one of its most dramatic weather emergencies in years as Typhoon Dolphin — the strongest storm to hit the country in 2026 — forces mass evacuations and brings catastrophic flooding to major cities including Shanghai.

Over a million people have been moved to safety as the powerful typhoon made landfall on Sunday evening, bringing torrential rain and winds of up to 94mph.

Shanghai Turned Into "The Sea"

The scale of this storm is genuinely staggering.

According to the BBC, authorities evacuated more than a million people from their homes across eastern China, with nearly 1,000 flights cancelled in Shanghai alone on Monday.

A weather station in central Shanghai recorded nearly 313mm of rain in just 24 hours — the city's highest 24-hour rainfall in more than 150 years of records, the Guardian reports. Another station clocked nearly 400mm.

The hashtag "Shanghai turns into the sea" began trending on Chinese social media as videos showed streets completely flooded around Wukang Mansion, one of the city's most famous tourist landmarks. Ground-floor businesses in the former French Concession area were underwater, with people wading through ankle-deep water.

The Numbers Are Wild

Here's the scale we're talking about:

• Wenzhou: 900,000 people relocated, more than 1,500 emergency shelters opened
• Shanghai: 215,600 people evacuated from high-risk areas
• Taizhou: 390,000 residents moved to safety
• Fujian province: 98,900 people evacuated

The storm made landfall twice on Sunday — first hitting Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at 5:30pm local time, then Wenzhou about an hour later, bringing maximum wind speeds of 150km/h.

And It's Not Over Yet

While Dolphin has been downgraded to a tropical storm, authorities are warning the danger is far from over.

The Guardian reports that forecasters are predicting some areas could see 200-400mm of additional rainfall over the coming days, with heavy rain forecast through Wednesday as the storm moves north.

Parts of Zhejiang could receive between 250mm to 500mm of rain over the next few days, according to the BBC.

Authorities are maintaining an orange alert for heavy rain and warning that days of intense downpours could trigger widespread flooding and landslides across large parts of eastern and central China.

Hong Kong Just Hit Its Hottest Day EVER

In a wild twist, the approaching typhoon actually fuelled record-breaking heat in Hong Kong.

The city's weather observatory posted a temperature of 36.9C on Sunday — the highest official temperature recorded since records began 142 years ago in 1884, according to the Guardian.

The previous record was 36.6C set in August 2017, just before Typhoon Hato hit.

One weather station in Sheung Shui in northern Hong Kong recorded 39.8C — the highest temperature logged in the city since automatic weather stations were introduced in the 1980s.

This Storm Is Breaking Records

China's state broadcaster CCTV reports that Dolphin travelled more than 6,000km before making landfall, suggesting a lifespan more than three times that of an average typhoon.

The storm also has a massive circulation size and intense rainfall capacity, making it particularly dangerous.

The average rainfall recorded across Zhejiang from Friday evening to Monday morning reached 173mm, reportedly surpassing levels seen during previous major typhoons including Lekima and Bavi.

The Wider Impact

The typhoon has wreaked havoc across multiple countries.

In the Philippines, eight people died because of heavy monsoon rains brought on by Dolphin and earlier storms, with more than 7,000 people sheltering in evacuation centres nationwide, the BBC reports.

In Japan's Okinawa prefecture, the storm injured six people and cut power to more than 50,000 buildings.

Shanghai's two airports cancelled more than 1,300 flights, while public transport services including many local trains have been suspended. Tourist attractions including parts of Disneyland Shanghai, Legoland, and several viewing platforms along the Bund remain closed.

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang's capital, authorities have waived parking fees in all public spaces to help drivers seeking shelter from the strong winds and floodwaters.

Climate Connection

Scientists are pointing to the climate crisis as a factor in the storm's intensity.

According to the Guardian, experts say global warming has made extreme weather more likely, including more powerful typhoons.

This year is a strong El Niño year, which means typhoons can grow to be even more intense, the BBC notes.

Typhoon season in the western Pacific typically runs between May and October, but the storms are becoming increasingly severe.

Chinese officials have not yet reported any casualties from the storm itself, though the BBC reports that a nine-year-old boy from Wenling, Zhejiang is missing after being swept into the sea.

Authorities are urging people to avoid outdoor activities and stay indoors during the heavy downpours as the storm continues to move north through the week.

Have you ever experienced a major typhoon or hurricane? Tell us in the comments below.

Sources:

• BBC News: China evacuates one million from homes as massive storm arrives
• The Guardian: Typhoon Dolphin: more than a million people evacuated in China as record rainfall dumped on Shanghai
• The Guardian: Hong Kong records hottest day ever as Typhoon Dolphin fuels heatwave