Tropical Storm Dolphin has caused widespread disruption across eastern China, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights at Shanghai's two main airports and triggering flooding in several areas. The storm, which made landfall as a typhoon on Sunday, has prompted authorities to suspend metro services and evacuate hundreds of thousands of residents.
According to Shanghai Airport Group, more than 900 flights—roughly 40% of the daily schedule—were cancelled at Hongqiao and Pudong airports on Monday. This follows a similar wave of cancellations the previous day, when about 1,300 flights were grounded. The disruptions have left many travellers stranded, with airlines advising passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Widespread flooding and evacuations
The storm has dumped heavy rain across Zhejiang, Fujian, and Shanghai, causing rivers to swell and urban areas to flood. In Yueqing, a city in Zhejiang province, state broadcaster CCTV reported that rescue teams were searching for people trapped in flooded homes. Authorities have warned of the risk of severe flooding and landslides in mountainous regions.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, Dolphin was moving northwest at 15 to 20 kilometres per hour and was expected to continue weakening. The storm made landfall on Sunday evening in Taizhou, Zhejiang, with winds of up to 151 kilometres per hour, after bringing heavy rain to northern Taiwan over the weekend.
The storm has forced at least 760,000 people to relocate preemptively, including over 390,000 in Taizhou alone. In Shanghai, more than 210,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas, while Fujian Province moved over 160,000 residents to safety. In Hangzhou, the provincial capital, authorities temporarily closed the iconic West Lake scenic spots, as well as temples, parks, and museums, with plans to reopen on Tuesday.
Impact on the Philippines
Dolphin has also intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines, triggering flooding and landslides on the main northern island of Luzon. A landslide in the mountain resort city of Baguio buried three houses on Sunday night, killing ten people. Rescue workers dug through the debris for two days, recovering the bodies, while three injured survivors were taken to hospital.
The deaths from the mudslide brought the death toll from nearly a week of torrential rains, floods, and a previous tropical storm in the northern Luzon region to 19, according to the government's Office of Civil Defense. More than a million people have been affected by the heavy monsoon rains and floods, including about 98,000 who have been displaced from their homes.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Chan-hom has begun moving towards Japan's Pacific coast, raising concerns of further disruptions in the region.
For European travellers, the situation underscores the importance of checking flight status and travel advisories when flying to or from East Asia during typhoon season. Airlines operating between Europe and Shanghai, such as Air France and Lufthansa, have been affected by the cancellations, though most are offering rebooking options. The broader impact on international air travel is a reminder of how extreme weather events can ripple across global networks.
As the storm continues to weaken, authorities in eastern China are focusing on recovery and assessing the damage. The full extent of the flooding and economic impact is not yet known, but the region's resilience will be tested in the coming days.
