Emergency levels raised, flights canceled as Typhoon Dolphin approaches Zhejiang

Authorities across Zhejiang province have stepped up emergency measures while airlines have canceled 270 flights at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport as Typhoon Dolphin approaches China's eastern coast. The typhoon is expected to make landfall between Sunday evening and early Monday.

At 10 am Sunday, the center of Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, was about 215 kilometers east of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, according to the National Meteorological Center.

The typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 45 meters per second near its center and moving westward at 20 to 25 km per hour.

It is forecast to make landfall along the coast between Zhoushan in Zhejiang and Fuding in Fujian province from Sunday evening to early Monday, with the most likely landfall area between Sanmen in Zhejiang and Fuding. Wind speeds at landfall are expected to reach 38 to 45 meters per second, the center said.

As the typhoon approaches, cities across Zhejiang have raised their emergency response levels. Hangzhou upgraded its typhoon emergency response to Level II at 9 am Sunday, while Wenzhou and Taizhou have activated Level I responses, the highest in China's four-tier emergency response system.

Air travel has also been affected. On Sunday, airlines at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport canceled 270 inbound and outbound flights, with most of the cancellations affecting flights scheduled for the afternoon. The airport had originally scheduled 752 flights for the day.

Jia Yan, chief forecaster at the Zhejiang Meteorological Observatory, said at a media briefing on Saturday that Dolphin is expected to make direct landfall in Zhejiang and move across the province, bringing heavy rainfall to most areas.

She said rainfall is expected to be heavier than that brought by Typhoon Bavi, which affected the province in July, while Dolphin is also expected to bring stronger and more widespread wind and rain over a longer period.

The National Meteorological Center said Dolphin is expected to bring sustained strong winds to the East China Sea and eastern China over the next three days.

Heavy rainfall is also forecast in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hubei, Henan and Shandong, prompting warnings of possible secondary disasters.