Hundreds of thousands evacuated as Typhoon Dolphin brings heavy rain to eastern China

BEIJING -- Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated in East China as Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain and flooding, with authorities warning that risks remained even as the storm weakened after making landfall.

As of 7 am Monday, about 167,900 people had been moved from vulnerable areas on land and at sea in Fujian province. By late Sunday, Shanghai had evacuated around 215,600 people from areas considered at risk.

Heavy rain was forecast to persist on Monday in parts of Fujian, including the cities of Ningde and Nanping, with the potential for torrential downpours in some areas.

The storm caused widespread disruptions to transportation and tourism. In Fujian, authorities suspended 686 road passenger routes and 658 train services. A total of 234 major tourist attractions were also shut down and dozens of cultural and tourism events canceled.

In Shanghai, LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort temporarily closed around noon Monday as Typhoon Dolphin lashed the city with heavy rain. Authorities in the district where the resort is located issued the highest-level rainstorm alert and warned of possible urban waterlogging.

Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, made two landfalls in Zhejiang province on Sunday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The NMC renewed a blue typhoon alert Monday morning, forecasting that the storm would move northwest at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour and gradually weaken.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe, followed by orange, yellow and blue.