Typhoon Dolphin, classified as a “very strong” storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), lashed Japan’s southern Okinawa Prefecture and nearby Amami islands on Saturday, injuring at least five people  and cutting power to tens of thousands of buildings while prompting widespread flight cancellations and evacuations.

The storm packed maximum sustained winds of around 162 km/h (101 mph), with gusts reaching 216 km/h (134 mph). As of midday Saturday, its center was roughly 160 km northwest of Kume Island in Okinawa, moving northwest at about 15 km/h. Earlier assessments placed it closer to Kumejima with a central pressure near 940 hPa. The main areas affected in Japan remain the islands of Okinawa and Amami in the far southwest.

Five elderly residents in Okinawa suffered non-life-threatening injuries, three of them after falling in the strong winds, according to the prefectural government. Japan’s national broadcaster NHK reported numerous downed trees across Nago city and at least one overturned car leaking oil in a parking lot. Power outages affected reports of 12,000–14,000 buildings in Okinawa alone in some tallies, with broader southern Japan figures (including Kagoshima) reaching 50,000 or more in updated counts; earlier peaks exceeded 16,000–17,000 households in parts of the prefecture.

Naha International Airport closed on Friday as the storm approached, leading to the cancellation of all flights in and out. Domestic carriers ANA and Japan Airlines canceled services to the region, adding to more than 500 flight cancellations reported as the typhoon neared. Authorities had earlier ordered evacuations for nearly 260,000 residents across Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures, with hundreds seeking shelter in centers. A Level 4 urgent landslide warning remained in effect for parts of the affected areas, with rainfall of up to 150–180 mm expected in Okinawa and Amami through late Saturday.

Dolphin is forecast to pull away from Okinawa while continuing westward across the East China Sea. It is expected to make landfall on China’s eastern coast late Sunday or early Monday, most likely between Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province and Fuding in Fujian Province, with sustained winds near the center potentially in the 38–45 m/s (85–101 mph) range. Chinese authorities have shut ports, ferry routes, and some schools and tourist sites; Zhejiang raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level and halted operations at facilities including Ningbo Lishe International Airport. National meteorological officials upgraded the emergency response to Level III and the typhoon warning to orange (the second-highest level). Heavy rain is anticipated across eastern China into mid-week, with some areas of Zhejiang possibly seeing more than 600 mm.

The slow-moving system has already disrupted travel and daily life across the region, including impacts felt in Taiwan. Residents and travelers in the path are urged to monitor official updates closely as the storm progresses. (ILKHA)