Typhoon Dolphin Injures Six in Okinawa, Forces China Port Shutdowns Ahead of Landfall

Typhoon Dolphin struck Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture on Saturday (August 8, 2026), injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. China, meanwhile, shut ports and halted ferries on its east coast as the storm is expected to make landfall by late Sunday or early Monday.

Japanese authorities reported that five elderly people in Okinawa suffered non-life-threatening injuries, including three who fell due to strong winds. Another person was injured in Kagoshima prefecture. Nearly 39,000 buildings in Kagoshima and just over 12,000 in Okinawa lost electricity.

Domestic airlines ANA and Japan Airlines cancelled flights to and from Okinawa. The typhoon brought maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching 216 kph.

Okinawa and Amami island in Kagoshima prefecture are expected to be the main areas affected in Japan.

In China, authorities have designated Dolphin as an orange-category typhoon, the second-highest warning level. They also raised the emergency response level to level III, the second-lowest, out of concern for flooding and landslides.

According to China's National Meteorological Center, the typhoon is most likely to make landfall between Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province and Fuding city in Fujian province. Winds near the centre could reach 38–45 metres per second (85–101 mph).

Rain and strong winds are expected to affect eastern China through August 12, including parts of Shanghai and neighbouring provinces. Some areas of eastern Zhejiang may receive more than 600 mm (23.6 inches) of rain.

Zhejiang raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level, halted port operations, and suspended 162 passenger ferry routes. Fujian also suspended ferry routes.

Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang said it would halt operations from 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and suspend all flights on Sunday. Shanghai's Yangshan port had been cleared of vessels by late Friday, and some rail services in the Yangtze River Delta will be suspended from Sunday.

In Taiwan, the government said 78 international flights were cancelled because of the typhoon. Heavy rain was expected in northern parts of the island over the weekend, though no evacuations had been ordered as of Saturday.

Separately, China ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to follow its traffic control instructions due to the typhoon. Taipei denounced the move as “ridiculous”, asserting that Beijing has no right to restrict access to international waters. China views democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory and claims the strategic strait; both Taipei and Washington reject that claim.