TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Typhoon Dolphin battered southern Japan on Saturday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and power outages, as the storm moved toward China, where authorities closed ports and suspended ferry services ahead of its expected landfall.
Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture were forecast to bear the brunt of the storm.
Typhoon Dolphin Batters Southern Japan
According to DW, Typhoon Dolphin was packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour), with gusts reaching 216 kph, according to weather authorities.
Japan's Meteorological Agency forecast strong winds, heavy rain and high waves in Okinawa through Sunday.
About 240 people had taken shelter at evacuation centers in Okinawa as of Friday, while five elderly people were reported to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Naha Airport on Okinawa Island closed on Friday, with all domestic and international flights to and from the prefectural capital canceled.
The storm also knocked out power to about 14,000 buildings across Okinawa.
China Braces for Typhoon Dolphin
Typhoon Dolphin is expected to make landfall along China's eastern or southern coast between late Sunday and early Monday, according to the China National Meteorological Centre.
Forecasters said the storm could make landfall between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province.
Zhejiang has raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level and suspended port operations and 162 passenger ferry routes.
The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to eastern China, including parts of Shanghai, through August 12.
Some areas of eastern Zhejiang could receive more than 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) of rain, forecasters said.
Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang said it would halt operations from 11:30 p.m. Saturday and suspend all flights on Sunday.
Taiwan-China Tensions Rise Over Typhoon Measures
Taiwan is also bracing for heavy rain in the north, with 63 international flights canceled over the weekend.
The typhoon has also triggered fresh tensions between Taiwan and China after Beijing ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to follow its traffic control instructions during the storm.
Taipei criticized the move as "ridiculous," arguing that Beijing has no authority to restrict access to international waters.
"The unreasonable and crude statement by the relevant Chinese Communist departments reflects an ignorance, disregard, and trampling of international order and norms. It is utterly ridiculous!" Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement late Friday, cited by DW.
China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and claims sovereignty over the Taiwan Strait, positions rejected by Taiwan and the United States.
