Around 17:30 on August 9, Typhoon Dolphin (No.13 typhoon of the year) made landfall on the coast of Kanmen Subdistrict, Yuhuan City, Zhejiang Province, China, bringing strong winds and heavy rain, then around 18:40, it made a second landfall on the coast of Wengyang Subdistrict, Yueqing City, Wenzhou.

With a long lifespan, long travel distance, repeated intensity fluctuations, and a track influenced by complex factors, this was an unusual typhoon. Since before and after its formation in late July, meteorological departments had been continuously monitoring its evolution and delivering progressive services in an orderly manner. As August began, as the typhoon’s track and intensity kept changing, the probability of its impacting China continued to rise.

On August 8, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) raised its Level‑IV emergency response for major meteorological disasters (typhoon) to Level‑Ⅲ for typhoon, heavy rain, and severe convection, and further raised it to Level‑II on August 9. At 10:00 on August 9, the National Meteorological Centre (NMC) of CMA upgraded to a red typhoon warning, stating that Typhoon Dolphin would bring severe wind and rain to East China, South China, Central China, North China, and other areas.

China meteorological departments made early preparations. By the time Typhoon Dolphin made landfall and caused severe wind and rain impacts, these preparations had effectively translated into orderly defensive actions.

CMA’s organizational structures strengthened vertical coordination and scientific and technological support, providing multiple technical means and service products to underpin typhoon defense.

The NMC reinforced its duty shifts, added emergency chief forecasters and media service chiefs, paid close attention to the typhoon system development a week in advance, and organized multiple collective and intensive consultations among chief forecasters. It also enhanced the application of new data sources such as meteorological satellites, BeiDou-tracked drifting radiosondes, and drifting buoys. At the same time, it actively strengthened national‑provincial coordination, set up a national‑provincial working group for Typhoon Dolphin, and guided affected provinces in more accurately assessing the typhoon’s wind and rain impacts.

True‑color composite image from FY‑4B meteorological satellite (08:00, August 9, 2026)  Source: National Satellite Meteorological Centre (NSMC) of CMA

The NSMC carried out coordinated multi‑satellite meteorological observations. The FENGYUN (FY)‑4C satellite, positioned at 133°E, monitored the real‑time development and evolution of Typhoon Dolphin’s cloud systems. As the typhoon approached the coast, the FY‑4B satellite was activated for minute‑scale intensive rapid scanning at appropriate times. Using joint observations from multiple FY‑3 polar‑orbiting satellites, the thermal and dynamic characteristics of the typhoon were analyzed, providing support for track and intensity forecasting.

The National Meteorological Information Centre (NMIC) of CMA closely tracked the weather evolution and continuously provided the NMC and meteorological departments in affected areas with over ten types of real‑time products, including station‑based and gridded precipitation observations, radar mosaics, lightning location data, precipitable water, and sea surface temperature. This effectively consolidated the data foundation for assessing severe weather situations, and provided solid data support for forecast teams to accurately analyze system evolution and determine rainfall areas and intensities.

Weather radar composite reflectivity products precisely captured the fine structure and developmental changes of Typhoon Dolphin. The image shows an animated composite reflectivity loop (12:00 on August 8 – 12:00 on August 9)  Source: CMA Meteorological Observation Centre (MOC)

The CMA MOC carried out coordinated observations using multiple instruments, including Fengyun satellites, weather radars, Beidou soundings, and wind lidars, focusing on the structural evolution and wind‑rain impacts of Typhoon Dolphin. It newly deployed 18 ocean drifting buoys, extending typhoon observations beyond nearshore monitoring and filling the gaps in direct observations over open oceans and the typhoon’s core area, thus providing data support for the correction and verification of typhoon intensity and track forecasts.

The CMA Public Meteorological Service Centre enhanced scenario‑based meteorological services for energy, transportation, tourism, and other sectors, promptly issued special warnings to the power sector, and assisted in emergency preparedness. It also produced and released the “Key Traffic Meteorological Service Tips for Major Events” and, jointly with the Road Network Monitoring and Emergency Response Center of the Ministry of Transport, issued a “Major Highway Meteorological Warning”.

The CMA Communication and Outreach Centre (China Meteorological News Press) activated the “one event, one strategy” mechanism for science communication, and jointly with national operational units, meteorological departments in affected areas, mainstream media, and online platforms, conducted live broadcasts on the typhoon. Starting August 7, it organized daily media briefings, continuously delivering authoritative information to the public and providing science interpretation.

Facing the wind and rain impacts of Typhoon Dolphin, meteorological departments in the affected areas responded swiftly to orders.

At the construction site of Qinglongmen Bridge, part of the Phase II project of the Beilun‑Liuheng Highway Bridge in Ningbo, Zhejiang, maritime law enforcement officers conduct a comprehensive inspection of facility and equipment reinforcement. Photo: WU Zhiting

Meteorological departments of Zhejiang made every effort to provide full‑cycle forecasting and early warning services for Typhoon Dolphin. The provincial meteorological bureau organized a media symposium on meteorological information release to standardize and strengthen the authoritative release of forecasts and warnings. Meteorological departments were fully integrated into the joint command system, jointly issued marine meteorological disaster risk warnings with maritime and ocean economy authorities, and closely coordinated with emergency management, water resources, transport, culture and tourism, agriculture and rural affairs, and other departments.

The Fujian Provincial Meteorological Service carried out progressive services, closely tracking the dynamics and impacts of Typhoon Dolphin from August 3, and on August 6 identified the risk areas for typhoon gales and heavy rain. The four departments of meteorology, marine fisheries, emergency management, and water resources in Fujian jointly released relevant information through the emergency warning information dissemination system, and actively pushed “one event, one strategy” science products via various media channels and emergency broadcasting integration service platforms, enhancing public awareness and capability for disaster prevention, risk avoidance, and self‑rescue.

The Shanghai Meteorological Service simultaneously held consultations with flood control, emergency management, transport, and other departments to ensure information sharing. The chief forecaster of the Shanghai Meteorological Observatory gave a group media interview, explaining in detail the typhoon’s characteristics, track, and the impact features of “long‑duration winds and intense rainfall.” On August 9, Shanghai experienced obvious wind and rain. All district meteorological bureaus in Shanghai intensified joint consultations; Minhang District tailored special services for the Hongqiao transportation hub to safeguard comprehensive transport safety; Qingpu District precisely forecast typhoon evolution through real‑time rolling observations, small‑vortex warnings, and localized adaptation of AI products.

The NMC forecasted that after landfall, the typhoon would continue to move inland northward, and its weakening residual vortex would overlap with the northern rainfall system, bringing widespread and persistent heavy rainfall to eastern China. Typhoon defense efforts must not be relaxed. Currently, meteorological departments in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, and other areas are closely monitoring the evolving wind and rain impacts, providing strong support for subsequent disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

Author: LIU Zhao, JIANG Jufang, DING Xintong, ZHU Ye, LI Dongmei

Editor: JIANG Zhiqing