Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall on the country's eastern coast on Sunday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides. Authorities had taken extensive precautions: one report said more than one million people were evacuated, while another said over 300,000 people were relocated before the storm arrived. Shanghai's two airports cancelled more than 1,300 flights. The storm had earlier brought heavy rain to northern Taiwan the day before.
Amid the storm's approach, a nine-year-old boy was swept away by a giant wave on Friday afternoon in the coastal town of Shitang, in eastern Zhejiang province. At the time, a typhoon warning was already in place. Local officials said high tides, rapid currents and dangerous whirlpools were making search efforts difficult. Rescuers were still searching on Sunday.