Red alert: Shanghai cancels 60% of flights as Typhoon Dolphin closes in

Shanghai grounded nearly 60 percent of its flights on Sunday as Typhoon Dolphin churned toward eastern China, prompting the National Meteorological Centre to issue its highest red alert ahead of an expected landfall between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.

Storm path and intensity

At 10 a.m. Sunday, the storm's center was positioned over the southern East China Sea, roughly 215 kilometers (134 miles) east of Wenzhou, a major coastal city in Zhejiang. Forecasters said Dolphin was moving west-northwest and would make landfall late Sunday night or early Monday morning. After hitting the coast, the typhoon is projected to weaken gradually as it tracks inland.

According to Weather China, both Zhejiang and Shanghai fall within the storm's "dangerous semicircle" — the right-front quadrant of a Northern Hemisphere tropical cyclone, where wind speeds and precipitation are typically the most severe. That means the most densely populated areas of the Yangtze River Delta are bracing for the full force of the storm.

Record travel disruptions

The Shanghai Airport Group made the decision late Saturday night to cancel nearly 60 percent of all flights scheduled for Sunday in and out of the city's two main airports. The cancellations totaled 1,384 flights, with 871 at Pudong International Airport and 513 at Hongqiao International Airport. Travellers posted long lines at ticket counters as airlines worked to rebook passengers on later flights or arrange refunds.

Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Zhejiang also announced that 270 flights had been cancelled on Sunday, with more disruptions possible as conditions deteriorate in the afternoon. Beyond air travel, railway operators have imposed temporary suspensions on multiple rail lines across Shanghai and the provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Anhui, and Jiangxi. The closures will remain in effect through Monday, affecting high-speed and conventional services on busy corridors.

Red alert and public safety

China's red alert is the highest level in a four-tier system, signifying that severe damage from strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges is expected. The National Meteorological Centre issued the alert at 10 a.m., upgrading from an orange alert as the storm intensified. Residents in coastal areas have been advised to stay indoors, while local governments have opened emergency shelters and deployed rescue teams.

The approaching typhoon is expected to bring torrential rain that could trigger flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas. The typhoon's slow forward speed increases the risk of prolonged rainfall, with some areas potentially seeing rainfall totals of 250–350 millimeters. Additional safety measures include closing schools in several districts, suspending ferry services, and repositioning emergency response assets to vulnerable zones.

What next

With landfall imminent, the immediate focus is on protecting life and property. Post-storm, the region will face the challenge of clearing flooded streets, restoring power, and resuming transportation services. Passengers and residents are urged to keep abreast of the latest updates from official channels, as further cancellations may occur as the storm's path becomes clearer. The coming days will test the resilience of eastern China's infrastructure against one of the strongest typhoons of the season.