Typhoon Dolphin draws near

China expanded its emergency response to Typhoon Dolphin on Friday, activating a geological disaster response in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces as the powerful storm continued to approach the country's eastern coast.

The National Meteorological Center maintained its yellow alert — the third-highest level in China's four-tier color-coded weather warning system — for Typhoon Dolphin on Friday, forecasting that the storm will make landfall along the coast between southern Zhejiang and northern Fujian between Sunday afternoon and early Monday after crossing the East China Sea.

At 5 pm on Friday, Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th named storm of the year, was centered about 730 kilometers east of Wenzhou, Zhejiang. The strong typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 48 meters per second and a minimum central pressure of 940 hectopascals.

The storm is expected to move westward at 15 to 20 km per hour, maintaining or intensifying its strength slightly before entering the East China Sea. It is forecast to slow as it approaches the coast, making landfall with sustained winds of 40 to 45 meters per second.

Zhou Guanbo, chief forecaster at the National Meteorological Center, said that August is typically the peak month for typhoon formation and landfalls in China, and it is not uncommon for two or three tropical storms to affect the country simultaneously during this period.

However, Zhou said that Dolphin would be unprecedented if it makes landfall as forecast. The typhoon formed on July 27 near the international date line and has traveled thousands of kilometers westward across the Pacific while maintaining its strength.

"A typhoon forming so far offshore and then making landfall in China as a strong tropical storm or stronger would be the first case on record," Zhou said, adding that forecast uncertainty remains high because a break in the western Pacific subtropical high system has weakened the steering currents guiding the storm.

Current projections suggest that Dolphin could linger over southern China for two to three days after making landfall, moving westward before weakening. Another scenario would see the storm turn north and merge with the midlatitude westerlies, potentially bringing widespread wind and rain to northern China, she added.

The weather authority has warned of gale-force winds over much of the East China Sea until Saturday afternoon. A round of strong winds and heavy rainfall is also expected to hit East China around Sunday, the center said.

The Ministry of Emergency Management activated on Friday a Level IV emergency response for geological disasters in Zhejiang and Fujian, following forecasts of a week of heavy rainfall related to Dolphin.

Most of Zhejiang and northern Fujian are at heightened risk of landslides and other geological disasters triggered by the expected downpours.

Local authorities have been urged to increase inspections of areas prone to hazards, strengthen monitoring, forecasting and emergency duty, and promptly report disasters and potential risks.

On Thursday, the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management held a joint meeting with other relevant authorities to assess the typhoon and flood situation.

The authorities activated a Level IV emergency response for flood and typhoon control in Zhejiang and Fujian, while maintaining Level IV flood responses in Heilongjiang and Shaanxi provinces.

Officials described the flood-control situation as "severe and complex", as heavy rainfall continues in parts of Heilongjiang, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hainan provinces. Above-warning water levels have been recorded on sections of the Heilongjiang and Songhuajiang rivers in Heilongjiang.

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn