Typhoon Dolphin batters Japan's Okinawa before bearing down on China

What the report says

Typhoon Dolphin hit Japan’s Okinawa island on Saturday, cutting electricity to at least 44,000 buildings and injuring at least five people, according to the BBC and local officials. The storm also disrupted travel, with flights to and from Naha International Airport cancelled after the airport closed as the typhoon approached.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Dolphin reached maximum winds of 162 km/h and classified it as a “very strong” typhoon. It warned of dangerous conditions including high waves, storm surges and lightning. The Okinawan prefectural government said the injured were elderly people and that their injuries were not life-threatening. Japanese broadcaster NHK reported fallen trees in Nago city and a car overturned in a parking lot.

The BBC said the most affected Japanese areas were Okinawa and the Amami islands in the far southwest. Beyond Japan, Chinese authorities prepared for the storm’s arrival by closing ports and schools in parts of Zhejiang province, where an elevated coastal alert was issued. Ningbo Lishe International Airport also planned to suspend operations and flights.

The storm was expected to make landfall on China’s eastern coast late Sunday or early Monday. The report noted that typhoon season in the western Pacific typically runs from May to October, and that strong seasonal conditions can sometimes contribute to more intense storms.