BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center issued a yellow alert on Thursday evening as Typhoon Dolphin is forecast to make landfall along China's eastern coast between Shanghai and Fuqing in Fujian Province on Sunday or Monday.

Staff members strengthen moorings to properly secure vessels at a port in Wenzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 5, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, is forecast to enter the East China Sea on Friday and gradually approach the coastal areas of east China, the center said.

It is likely to make landfall with an intensity ranging from typhoon to severe typhoon level and bring heavy rain to areas north of the landfall site.

Dolphin formed west of the International Date Line and has traveled a long distance toward China, and it is very rare for a storm following such a long track to make landfall in the country at this intensity, said Dong Lin, chief forecaster at the center.

Dolphin is currently under the combined influence of the subtropical high, troughs and ridges in the westerlies, and multiple typhoon systems, while a split in the subtropical high has weakened the steering flow affecting the storm, leaving its landfall location and post-landfall path uncertain, Dong said.

After landfall, Dolphin may move westward and linger over southern China for two to three days, or turn north and interact with a system in the westerlies, potentially bringing prolonged and widespread wind and rain to northern China, the center noted.

From 8 p.m. on Thursday to 8 p.m. on Friday, strong winds are forecast across most of the East China Sea, the southern Yellow Sea, waters east of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, the Yangtze River estuary, Hangzhou Bay and coastal areas in east China's Zhejiang Province.

Dolphin is expected to bring heavy to torrential rain to parts of eastern China around Sunday, while its remnants, combined with cold air, may cause heavy rainfall in parts of northern and northeastern China from Aug. 12 to 14.

China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe scenario, followed by orange, yellow and blue.