Typhoon Dolphin struck Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings, as authorities in eastern China closed ports and suspended ferry services ahead of the storm's expected arrival on the mainland.
Five people were hurt in Okinawa, three of them after falling in high winds, and another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture, Reuters reported. None of the injuries were life-threatening. Nearly 39,000 buildings lost power in Kagoshima and just over 12,000 in Okinawa. Toyota suspended operations at nine factories in southern Japan on Friday as the storm disrupted transport and logistics, according to The Watchers.
China's National Meteorological Center expects the typhoon to make landfall between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian, with sustained winds near the center of 85 to 101 miles per hour, Reuters reported. Forecasters said eastern Zhejiang could receive more than 23 inches of rain.
Zhejiang had suspended all 162 of its passenger ferry routes by Friday morning, halted work at 193 offshore projects and called 474 construction vessels back to port, Xinhua reported. Provincial maritime authorities issued 86,000 warning messages and inspected 24,000 vessels. In neighboring Fujian, all 115 offshore construction projects were suspended and 290 vessels were moved to sheltered waters.
Ningbo Lishe International Airport said it would suspend all flights on Sunday, and some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta will be halted from the same day, according to Reuters. Shanghai Disney Resort and Legoland Shanghai both announced Sunday evening closures, Global Times reported. Major Chinese airlines are allowing passengers to change or cancel affected flights without charge.
China's meteorological authority raised its emergency response to Level III on Saturday and upgraded its typhoon warning from yellow to orange, citing the risk of flooding and landslides. Rain and strong winds are expected across eastern China, including parts of Shanghai, through August 12.
Dolphin is the fourth typhoon to reach China this summer.