TAIPEI — Airlines cancelled dozens of flights across Taiwan, Japan and parts of eastern China on Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin disrupted air travel and moved toward China after striking Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture.
Taiwan reported 78 flight cancellations as the storm brought heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the island, according to information cited by Reuters. No evacuation orders had been issued in Taiwan, although authorities warned of deteriorating weather conditions.
In Japan, domestic carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines cancelled flights to and from areas affected by the typhoon, with Okinawa bearing the brunt of the disruption. Earlier reports put the number of cancellations in Japan at more than 500 as the storm approached the region during the peak summer travel period.
Typhoon Dolphin struck Okinawa on Saturday, bringing winds of up to 216 kph, according to Reuters. The storm caused widespread power outages and injured at least six people in Japan, while its strongest effects were reported in Okinawa and Amami Island.
The disruption was spreading westward as China prepared for the typhoon's expected landfall between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province late Sunday or early Monday. China raised its emergency response to Level III and designated Dolphin an orange-category typhoon, while authorities suspended some transport services and grounded flights at Ningbo Lishe International Airport.
Macau was also affected. Airport authorities said 12 flights were cancelled between Friday and Saturday because of the typhoon.
Airlines in the region have offered passengers affected by the storm options to change or cancel reservations, while airports and transport authorities have continued to monitor conditions and adjust operations.
The storm was forecast to bring torrential rain to eastern China, with rainfall in parts of Zhejiang expected to exceed 600 millimetres. Shanghai's Yangshan port was cleared of vessels and some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta were also scheduled for suspension as authorities prepared for the storm's arrival.
With Dolphin moving toward mainland China, airlines and airports across the affected region were continuing to adjust schedules in response to weather and safety conditions.
