Typhoon Dolphin's 216 Kph Gusts Injure Five, Cut Power to 14,000 in Okinawa

What happened

Typhoon Dolphin swept over Japan's Okinawa and Amami islands on Saturday with sustained winds of 162 kph and gusts up to 216 kph, according to Deutsche Welle. Five elderly residents were injured and power was cut to roughly 14,000 buildings, while Naha Airport shut down and canceled all flights. The storm is now bearing down on China, where Zhejiang province suspended 162 ferry routes and raised its typhoon alert to the highest level, and its approach has reignited a dispute between Beijing and Taipei over who controls shipping through the Taiwan Strait.

• Typhoon Dolphin produced sustained winds of 162 kph (100 mph) and gusts of 216 kph over Okinawa, per Deutsche Welle.
• Five elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries and roughly 14,000 buildings lost power in Okinawa, according to Deutsche Welle and the Japan Times.
• Naha Airport closed and canceled all domestic and international flights, while about 240 people took shelter in evacuation centers, per Deutsche Welle.
• China's Zhejiang province raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level, halted port operations and suspended 162 passenger ferry routes ahead of Dolphin's expected landfall between Zhoushan and Fuding late Sunday to early Monday, per the China National Meteorological Centre as cited by Deutsche Welle.
• Beijing ordered that ships transiting the Taiwan Strait comply with its traffic control instructions during the typhoon; Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council called the directive 'ridiculous' and said China has no right to restrict access to international waters, per Deutsche Welle.

What we don't know yet

• The extent of damage and economic cost in Okinawa, and the storm's ultimate impact once it makes landfall in Zhejiang or Fujian, are not yet known.
• Whether Beijing's Taiwan Strait shipping directive will be enforced against foreign or Taiwanese vessels, or functions only as a non-binding advisory, is unresolved.

Why it matters

Beijing's assertion of authority over shipping in the Taiwan Strait during the typhoon adds a live flashpoint to already tense cross-strait relations, testing how far China will push control over a waterway the U.S. and Taipei consider international.

Claims

• ConfirmedTyphoon Dolphin produced sustained winds of 162 kph and gusts of up to 216 kph over Okinawa.
• ConfirmedFive elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Okinawa due to Typhoon Dolphin.
• ConfirmedPower was cut to roughly 14,000 buildings in Okinawa.
• ConfirmedChina's Zhejiang province suspended 162 passenger ferry routes ahead of Typhoon Dolphin's expected landfall.
• ConfirmedBeijing ordered that ships transiting the Taiwan Strait comply with its traffic control instructions during the typhoon, a move Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council called 'ridiculous.'