Typhoon Dolphin battered Japan's southern regions on Saturday, causing injuries and power outages. Okinawa and Amami Island in Kagoshima Prefecture were expected to be the worst affected areas, with authorities urging residents to take precautions.

The storm is now moving toward China, where it is expected to make landfall along the eastern and southern coasts between late Sunday and early Monday. Chinese authorities have shut down ports and suspended ferry services in preparation, as the National Meteorological Centre forecasts landfall between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province.

Zhejiang has raised its coastal typhoon alert to the highest level, halting port operations and suspending 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, with some areas in eastern Zhejiang potentially receiving over 600 mm (23.6 inches) of rain.

Ningbo Lishe International Airport in Zhejiang announced it would cease operations from 11:30 p.m. Saturday (1530 GMT) and cancel all flights on Sunday. Taiwan, where 63 international flights have been cancelled, is also expected to experience heavy rain in the north over the weekend.

The typhoon has also sparked new political friction between Taiwan and China after Beijing ordered ships passing through the Taiwan Strait to comply with its traffic control instructions. Taipei slammed Beijing's injunctions as "ridiculous," asserting that Beijing has no right 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. China regards the democratically governed island as a breakaway territory and claims ownership of the strategic strait, a stance rejected by both Taipei and Washington.

Source: www.dw.com