With Typhoon Dolphin -- the 13th typhoon of 2026 -- closing in on east China's coastline, cities and provinces are stepping up preparations to mitigate the storm's effects.
The national flood control authority raised the emergency response to Level 3 in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian on Friday as typhoon approaches.
Fujian upgraded its typhoon alert to Level 3 on Friday, with the provincial maritime authority raising its response to Level 2 the same day.
Authorities in Fujian have evacuated offshore vessels and personnel. Fishing boats in local fishing grounds were ordered back to port by 18:00 Friday. All workers on aquafarms off Ningde, Fuzhou, and Pingtan, as well as non‑essential staff on those off Putian and Quanzhou, were also brought ashore before the deadline.
All 115 offshore construction projects in Fujian have been suspended, with 290 vessels moved to safe waters for shelter. Nineteen passenger ferry routes along the coast have also been suspended.
In neighboring Zhejiang Province, the Taizhou maritime authority activated a Level 2 typhoon emergency response on Friday morning. All passenger ferry routes and offshore construction projects in the city have been suspended.
Meanwhile, Ningbo's coastal areas activated a Level 2 typhoon emergency response at 8:00 on Friday.
The Hengshan Reservoir in Ningbo's Fenghua District opened its gates to lower water levels ahead of the storm on Friday morning. All frontline flood control staff were deployed to reinforce flood safety measures.
Blue typhoon warnings were issued in Shanghai's Chongming, Pudong, Fengxian, and Jinshan districts by 14:00 Friday as the city was bracing for the storm. Most ferry routes were suspended from the morning, with only the Changxing-Hengsha service still running, the city's ferry operator said.
Coastal regions on alert as Typhoon Dolphin barrels toward east China
Spain announced on Friday that it would temporarily restore internal border checks for travelers arriving from Italy in response to Rome's refusal to lift border controls on travelers arriving from Spain amid the recent migration crisis in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta.
The temporary checks at ports and airports will take effect at the start of Saturday and remain in force until Sept 7 unless circumstances change, according to a statement released by the Spanish government. The measures will include random identity and document checks.
The Spanish government said Italy had unilaterally reintroduced border checks on travelers arriving from Spain on Aug 1 without prior notification, describing the measures as "unjustified, discriminatory and contrary to the interests of the European Union (EU)."
Spain has called on Italy to withdraw the measures immediately.
Earlier Friday, the Italian government said it would maintain temporary checks on third-country nationals arriving from Spain until at least Aug. 15, citing national security and border-management concerns.
Rome said it "does not accept ultimatums or external pressure" on matters concerning national security and border management.
It also stressed that the controls do not apply to Spanish or other EU citizens traveling by air or sea, adding that Italian border authorities would seek to minimize disruption to legitimate cross-border travel.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the border control measures on July 31 following a massive influx of migrants into Ceuta. About 80,000 people entered the Spanish enclave at the end of July, nearly 75,000 of whom subsequently returned voluntarily.
Between 3,000 and 5,000 migrants remain in the enclave, overwhelming reception facilities and creating a severe humanitarian emergency, Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas said Thursday.
The influx has fueled tensions among EU member states over border controls and the possible onward movement of migrants within the Schengen area.
Spain to impose temporary border checks on arrivals from Italy
