Hundreds of thousands evacuated as Typhoon Dolphin brings heavy rain to eastern China
Beijing, Aug 10 (IANS) Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated in eastern China as Typhoon Dolphin brought heavy rain and flooding, with authorities warning that risks remained even as the storm weakened after making landfall.
As of 7 a.m. Monday, about 167,900 people had been moved from vulnerable areas on land and at sea in Fujian Province. By late Sunday, Shanghai had evacuated around 215,600 people from areas considered at risk.
Heavy rain was forecast to persist on Monday in parts of Fujian, including the cities of Ningde and Nanping, with the potential for torrential downpours in some areas, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The storm caused widespread disruptions to transportation and tourism. In Fujian, authorities suspended 686 road passenger routes and 658 train services. A total of 234 major tourist attractions were also shut down, and dozens of cultural and tourism events were cancelled.
In Shanghai, Legoland Shanghai Resort temporarily closed around noon Monday as Typhoon Dolphin lashed the city with heavy rain. Authorities in the district where the resort is located issued the highest-level rainstorm alert and warned of possible urban waterlogging.
Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, made two landfalls in Zhejiang Province on Sunday, according to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC).
Typhoon Dolphin is moving inland after making two landfalls along the coast of east China’s Zhejiang Province and is expected to bring heavy precipitation to more than 10 provincial-level regions, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre on Monday.
The meteorological observatory of the Chinese capital Beijing issued an orange rainstorm alert Monday morning, predicting heavy to extreme rain from Tuesday evening through Thursday, influenced by both the warm airflow on the periphery of Dolphin and the cold air mass.
The city in northern China plans to activate a Level II flood control emergency response on Tuesday morning, advising residents to stay clear of rivers and refrain from mountain trips.
–IANS
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