Panic as Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in Japan

Residents of southern Japan scrambled for safety on Saturday as Typhoon Dolphin slammed into the Okinawa islands, packing sustained winds of 162 km/h and gusts up to 216 km/h. The powerful storm left at least five or six people injured, knocked out power to tens of thousands of buildings and forced mass cancellations of flights and ferries amid scenes of chaos and urgent evacuations.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency reported the typhoon centred about 160 km north-west of Kume Island early on Saturday, moving north-west at roughly 15 km/h. It had already disrupted life across Okinawa and parts of Kagoshima prefecture, with more than 500 flights grounded on Friday alone. Authorities ordered evacuations for nearly 260,000 people as torrential rain and ferocious winds battered the islands. Trees snapped, roads flooded and emergency services raced to respond to reports of partial damage to homes.

Power cuts hit between 14,000 and more than 50,000 buildings according to varying official tallies, plunging neighbourhoods into darkness and heightening anxiety as the storm’s outer bands lashed coastal communities.

Elderly residents were among those injured, some after being blown over by the extreme winds. Local governments urged people to stay indoors, secure property and avoid the shoreline as high waves and storm surges threatened low-lying areas.

The typhoon, which earlier reached super-typhoon strength with peak winds near 270 km/h, had weakened but remained highly dangerous. It formed in late July over the western Pacific and tracked steadily westwards, brushing the Ogasawara Islands before intensifying near the Ryukyu chain. By Saturday it was classified as a severe typhoon, still capable of producing destructive conditions.

While Okinawa bore the immediate brunt, the system continued westwards towards China’s eastern seaboard. Forecasters expected landfall between Zhejiang and northern Fujian provinces late on Sunday or early Monday.

Chinese authorities declared a Level III emergency response, shut schools, tourist sites and water-based activities, and docked hundreds of ships at ports including Ningbo. Heavy rainfall of 200-400 mm, and in places more than 600 mm, was forecast for eastern China, raising the risk of severe flooding and landslides. Shanghai also lay in the projected path.

In Japan the focus remained on recovery and remaining hazards. Domestic airlines cancelled services to and from Okinawa, while ferry routes were suspended. Residents described howling winds and horizontal rain turning ordinary streets into hazardous zones.

Emergency teams worked through the day to restore power and assist the injured, with officials warning that residual heavy rain could trigger further landslides and flash flooding even as the centre moved away.

Typhoon Dolphin’s passage underscored the vulnerability of island communities in the region to late-summer storms. Meteorologists noted its unusual origins near the International Date Line and its long track across open ocean before striking land.

As the system heads for the Chinese coast, Japanese authorities continued monitoring residual effects while China prepared for the next phase of the threat. The coming days will test emergency responses on both sides of the East China Sea.