Typhoon Dolphin Forces a Million to Flee in China
China evacuated around a million people and grounded hundreds of flights as Typhoon Dolphin bore down on its eastern coast. Authorities issued high-level warnings and shut schools and businesses as the storm approached. Forecasters warned of torrential rain, storm surges and destructive winds.
China’s densely populated coast is battered by powerful typhoons each summer, and the authorities have become practised at ordering huge precautionary evacuations to limit the loss of life. Even so, the storms cause billions in damage, flooding cities and disrupting shipping and manufacturing along one of the world’s busiest industrial corridors. Scientists warn that warming seas are making the most intense typhoons more frequent. The full impact will depend on where the storm makes landfall and how much rain it dumps. Watch the storm’s track and the scale of any flooding.