East China provinces brace for Typhoon Dolphin

HANGZHOU/FUZHOU - Authorities in East China's Zhejiang and Fujian provinces activated Level-IV typhoon emergency responses on Thursday afternoon, as Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th of 2026, churned toward the eastern coast of the country.

Zhejiang province upgraded its maritime emergency response to a Level-IV typhoon response at 2 pm Thursday, urging local authorities to closely track the typhoon's progress and implement all precautionary measures as prescribed.

At 11 am Thursday, the center of Typhoon Dolphin was located on the ocean approximately 1,260 km east of the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang, packing winds of up to Force 14 near its center, according to the Zhejiang Provincial Meteorological Observatory. The typhoon is forecast to move northwestward at 15 to 20 km per hour.

Winds over the East China Sea are expected to build from Thursday night and intensify to Force 10 to 13 on Friday and Saturday, with some areas seeing Force 14 to 16, the observatory said.

By 8 pm Wednesday, all 193 offshore construction projects in Zhejiang had been suspended, and 474 construction vessels had been directed to safe anchorages. The local maritime authority has also assisted local governments in relocating more than 10,000 people from outlying islands.

Meanwhile, neighboring Fujian province also activated a Level-IV typhoon emergency response at 2 pm Thursday. Typhoon Dolphin is expected to make landfall between the Yangtze River estuary and northern Fujian on Sunday, the Fujian provincial meteorological observatory said.

From Sunday to Wednesday, heavy to torrential rains are expected across much of Fujian, especially in the central and northern regions, with accumulated rainfall of 100 to 200 mm and up to 300 mm in some areas, the meteorological observatory noted.

The Fujian provincial flood control authority has urged coastal areas and relevant departments to closely track the typhoon's movements, step up risk assessments, activate emergency responses in a timely manner, and implement all necessary precautions.