Typhoon Dolphin approaches eastern China coast

The center announced that Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, is expected to reach the East China Sea on Friday and gradually approach the eastern Chinese coast.

It is expected to make landfall as a typhoon or severe typhoon and will cause heavy rain in regions north of the landfall site.

Dolphin, which formed west of the International Date Line, has traveled a significant distance toward China. According to Dong Lin, the chief forecaster at the center, it is very rare for a storm that follows such a long track to make landfall in the country at this intensity.

“Dolphin is currently under the combined influence of the subtropical high, troughs and ridges in the westerlies, and multiple typhoon systems, while a split in the subtropical high has weakened the steering flow affecting the storm, leaving its landfall location and post-landfall path uncertain,” Dong said.

The center noted that after landfall, Dolphin could either move westward and stay over southern China for two to three days or turn north and interact with a system in the westerlies. This interaction might bring extended and widespread wind and rain to northern China.

Strong winds are expected from 8 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday across much of the East China Sea, the southern Yellow Sea, waters east of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, the Yangtze River estuary, Hangzhou Bay, and coastal regions in eastern Zhejiang Province.

Dolphin is forecasted to produce heavy to torrential rain in eastern China around Sunday. Its remnants, merging with cold air, may cause heavy rainfall in northern and northeastern China from August 12 to 14.

China uses a four-tier color-coded weather warning system: red for the most severe, then orange, yellow, and blue.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that China pre-allocated 180 million yuan (about 26.5 million U.S. dollars) from central natural disaster relief funds to support six provinces in flood control and typhoon relief efforts.