Tokyo: Typhoon Dolphin has struck Japan’s southern Okinawa region, injuring five people and disrupting electricity supplies to around 14,000 buildings, as the powerful storm moves towards China’s eastern coast.
Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima prefecture have been among the areas most affected in Japan. Five elderly residents sustained non-life-threatening injuries, with three reportedly falling because of strong winds, according to the Okinawa prefectural government.
The storm has also disrupted air travel, with flights cancelled across parts of Japan, China and Taiwan as authorities prepare for worsening weather conditions.
【引き続き #台風 第13号に厳重警戒】
台風第13号は、沖縄・奄美から遠ざかりつつあるが動きが遅いため影響が長引き、猛烈な風や非常に強い風が吹いて猛烈なしけや大しけが続く。これまでの大雨で地盤の緩んでいる所もある。暴風や高波、高潮、土砂災害に厳重警戒！最新の防災気象情報に留意！ pic.twitter.com/7TQEp93kfc— 気象庁防災情報 (@JMA_bousai) August 8, 2026
Dolphin developed from a tropical depression that formed over the Central Pacific on July 26. It travelled thousands of kilometres across the Pacific before strengthening from a tropical storm into a severe tropical storm and eventually a typhoon.
By August 8, the Japan Meteorological Agency said that Typhoon Dolphin was located about 160km northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa. It was moving northwest at approximately 15km/h, carrying maximum sustained winds of around 162km/h and gusts of up to 216km/h.
China prepares for landfall
China has stepped up preparations as Typhoon Dolphin approaches its eastern and southern coastline. National authorities have activated a level-three emergency response, while coastal provinces have introduced measures to limit the impact of the storm.
The China National Meteorological Centre expects Typhoon Dolphin to make landfall between late August 9 and early August 10, with the area between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province considered the most likely zone.
Heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected across eastern China through August 12, including Shanghai and neighbouring provinces. Forecasts indicate that parts of eastern Zhejiang could receive more than 600mm of rainfall.
Zhejiang has issued its highest-level coastal typhoon warning, suspended port operations and cancelled 162 passenger ferry routes.
In Ningbo, authorities have ordered schools and other educational facilities to close and suspended water-related activities over the weekend. Ningbo Lishe International Airport also announced a temporary shutdown, with flights suspended on August 9.
Shanghai’s Yangshan port has been cleared of vessels, while some rail services across the Yangtze River Delta are also expected to be suspended.
Taiwan cancels flights
Taiwan has cancelled 63 international flights as Typhoon Dolphin approaches, with heavy rain expected in northern parts of the island. No evacuations had been ordered as of August 8.
The storm has also triggered a dispute over maritime traffic. China has instructed ships travelling through the Taiwan Strait to follow its traffic-control measures, a move Taiwan criticised, saying Beijing does not have the authority to restrict passage through international waters.
The typhoon Dolphin arrives as parts of East Asia continue to experience an intense heatwave, adding another layer of extreme weather concerns across the region.
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