Shanghai mounts emergency response as Typhoon Dolphin brings heavy rain, fierce winds

Shanghai launched a comprehensive emergency response as Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, has brought torrential rainfall and powerful winds across the city.

By Monday morning, Typhoon Dolphin had weakened to tropical storm intensity over Lishui in neighboring Zhejiang province, with winds of 23 meters per second and moving northwest at 15-20 kilometers per hour.

The typhoon's northern spiral rainbands brought sustained downpours to Shanghai. Between Sunday evening and Monday morning, southern districts received heavy to torrential rainfall. Wind gusts reached force 7 to 9 across most areas, peaking at force 10 along the coast in Fengxian district, according to the Shanghai meteorological service.

By Monday morning, rainfall continued to sweep across the city. Jinshan district issued a red rainstorm alert, while other districts faced orange or yellow warnings. Authorities warned of water accumulation risks reaching up to 30 centimeters in low-lying areas.

Road authorities implemented speed limits of 40-60 kilometers per hour across expressways and elevated highways citywide and closed some key crossings, including the Donghai Bridge. Some 46 underpasses were sealed due to standing water, with maintenance crews conducting on-site drainage operations.

On Monday, four metro routes — lines 3, 5, 16 and the Pujiang line — suspended operations. Lines 1, 2, 6 and 10 operated on shortened routes, while seven other lines implemented speed restrictions on elevated and surface sections. Operators said further speed limits or suspensions could be imposed depending on weather conditions.

Both Pudong International and Hongqiao airports canceled numerous flights while expanding customer service operations to assist stranded passengers. Railway authorities began a phased resumption Monday morning, gradually reopening high-speed rail lines connecting the city.

Confronting the severe weather, Shanghai authorities activated emergency protocols across all sectors. More than 215,000 residents were evacuated from vulnerable areas, according to the Shanghai flood control headquarters.

On Sunday, over 300 flood control pumping stations operated at full capacity, discharging 55.71 million cubic meters of water. The city government has arranged pump trucks and emergency teams to tackle 119 waterlogged sites, while 260 district-level units conducted synchronized patrols throughout the storm.

The city's 220-kilovolt power grid maintained stable operations with no major outages reported.

District governments deployed substantial resources in response. Xuhui assembled 102 specialized teams totaling 2,357 personnel, while Pudong positioned 423 emergency squads comprising 8,029 workers and 27 pump trucks. Yangpu police combined street patrols with video surveillance to monitor conditions in real time.