Typhoon Dolphin slammed into the southwestern Japanese island of Okinawa on Saturday, cutting power to at least 44,000 buildings and leaving five people with non‑life‑threatening injuries.
Flights to and from Naha International Airport were cancelled as the storm closed the airfield on Friday, disrupting travel for thousands of residents and tourists.
The Japan Meteorological Agency rated Dolphin as a “very strong” typhoon, with top wind speeds of 162 km h⁻¹ (101 mph) and warnings of high waves, storm surges and lightning strikes.
Officials in mainland China have boarded up ports and shut schools in anticipation of Dolphin’s forecasted landfall on the eastern coast late on Sunday or early Monday.
In Zhejiang, Ningbo’s Lishe International Airport halted all operations at 23:30 local time on Saturday and suspended flights for the following day, while maritime services were also suspended as a precaution.
Researchers point to this year’s strong El Niño conditions as a factor that may amplify the intensity and frequency of typhoons across the western Pacific, with an average of 25 cyclones reaching tropical‑storm strength each season and roughly three making landfall in Japan.
