NAHA — Typhoon Dolphin swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday, injuring six people and disrupting electricity supplies to more than 50,000 buildings as the powerful storm moved westward toward China, authorities and weather officials said.
The typhoon brought maximum sustained winds of about 162 kph, with gusts reaching 216 kph, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Okinawa and Amami Island in neighbouring Kagoshima prefecture were among the areas most affected in Japan.
Five elderly people in Okinawa suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including three who fell because of strong winds, while another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture, according to local authorities. Power outages affected more than 50,000 buildings across Okinawa and Kagoshima, Reuters reported, citing authorities.
Air travel was also disrupted. All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines cancelled flights to and from Okinawa as the storm passed through the region, while residents faced strong winds, heavy rain and hazardous sea conditions.
As of Saturday, Dolphin was moving northwest after passing near Okinawa. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the storm was about 160 km northwest of Kume Island at 0300 GMT, travelling at about 15 kph, with maximum sustained winds of 162 kph and gusts of up to 216 kph.
The storm was subsequently moving toward China's eastern coast, where authorities prepared for potentially severe rainfall, flooding and landslides. China's National Meteorological Centre forecast landfall between late Sunday and early Monday, most likely between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province.
Chinese authorities raised emergency measures, suspended ferry services and halted port operations in affected areas. Shanghai's Yangshan port moved more than 500 small and medium-sized vessels to shelter, according to the city's maritime safety administration.
Forecasters said parts of Zhejiang could receive 250 to 500 mm of rain, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. Authorities in Zhejiang and Fujian maintained elevated emergency responses as Dolphin approached the coast.
Dolphin had therefore moved away from Japan's Okinawa region by Sunday, with its next expected major impact focused on China's eastern coast rather than a landfall in Okinawa.
