More than a million people evacuated in China due to Typhoon Dolphin

More than a million people were moved to safety across eastern China by Sunday evening as powerful Typhoon Dolphin made landfall amid fears torrential rain would cause flooding and landslides.

Dolphin had weakened rapidly to a tropical storm by 5am on Monday. But as the storm continued to move northwards and farther inland, heavy rain was forecast across large parts of eastern and central China, extending north into Shandong and other northern locations.

Wenzhou has relocated more than 900,000 people and opened more than 1,500 emergency shelters. In neighbouring Fujian, 98,900 people were moved from high-risk areas. Shanghai had also moved 215,600 people from areas considered at risk by Sunday evening, substantially higher than an earlier figure of 30,300. The hashtag “Shanghai turns into the sea” has been trending on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, as videos circulated showing streets flooded around the Wukang Mansion, one of Shanghai’s best-known tourist landmarks.

The storm had also forced Shanghai’s two airports to cancel more than 1,300 flights. Public transport services, including many local trains, have been suspended in the financial hub.

Scientists say global warming has made extreme weather more likely, including more powerful typhoons.