Typhoon Dolphin has carved a path of disruption across East Asia, first battering Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture before setting its sights on China's densely populated eastern seaboard. The storm's dual impact has triggered airport closures, mass flight cancellations, and a rare diplomatic spat over Taiwan Strait shipping lanes. Main Developments Five elderly residents in Okinawa sustained non-life-threatening injuries as Dolphin swept through Saturday, with three of them knocked down by ferocious winds. The tempest also severed electricity to roughly 14,000 buildings across the prefecture, according to the Okinawan prefectural government. Japan's meteorological agency clocked the storm's maximum sustained winds at 162 kph, with gusts peaking at 216 kph. As of 0300 GMT, the typhoon churned roughly 160 km northwest of Kume Island, advancing northwestward at 15 kph. Domestic carriers ANA and Japan Airlines scrapped all flights to the region. Read also: Jura Energy's Maru-3 Well Starts Gas Production in Pakistan China's meteorological authorities predict landfall between late Sunday and early Monday, most likely spanning from Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province to Fuding city in Fujian province. Forecasters expect the storm to deliver winds of 38-45 metres per second near its centre, with eastern Zhejiang potentially absorbing over 600 mm of rain through August 12. Background Zhejiang province escalated its coastal typhoon alert to the highest tier, halting port operations and suspending 162 passenger ferry routes. Ningbo Lishe International Airport will cease operations from 11:30 p.m. Saturday and cancel all Sunday flights, while Shanghai's Yangshan port cleared its vessels by late Friday. The storm's reach extends to Taiwan, where 63 international flights were cancelled and heavy rain drenched the island's northern regions over the weekend. Authorities in Taipei had not issued evacuation orders as of Saturday. China's maritime directive ordering ships in the Taiwan Strait to heed its traffic control triggered sharp rebuke from Taipei, which called the measure "ridiculous" and asserted Beijing has no authority over international waters. Why It Matters This storm tests emergency preparedness across three separate jurisdictions simultaneously, each with different alert systems and response protocols. The Taiwan Strait dispute adds geopolitical friction to an already volatile weather situation, as China's claim over the strategic waterway clashes with Taipei's and Washington's position that it remains international territory. For China's eastern economic heartland, the timing is particularly fraught. The region's ports, airports, and rail networks serve as critical nodes in global supply chains, and the suspension of operations at facilities like Yangshan port could ripple through international shipping schedules. What's Next Forecasters expect rain and strong winds to hammer eastern China through August 12, affecting Shanghai and neighbouring provinces. The Yangtze River Delta's rail services will begin suspending operations Sunday, with more transport disruptions likely as the storm approaches. Whether the typhoon's landfall zone shifts north or south of the projected window between Zhoushan and Fuding remains the key variable, as even minor trajectory changes could significantly alter which communities bear the brunt of Dolphin's fury.