Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in China, rapidly weakening over land

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall along the eastern coast of China on Sunday as the system began to weaken rapidly after moving inland.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said Typhoon Dolphin made landfall northeast of Wenzhou at approximately 9:15 UTC Sunday. The storm was located about 175 nautical miles north-northwest of Taipei, Taiwan, at the time of the latest warning.

Dolphin was packing maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h with gusts to 150 km/h, as it moved inland.

The storm tracked westward at about 12 knots during the six hours before landfall. Radar and satellite imagery indicated the centre moved southwestward after coming ashore, passing close to Wenzhou before continuing inland toward the area west of Rui'an.

The storm is expected to weaken quickly as it moves across the rugged terrain of east-central China.

By 48 hours, the system is expected to dissipate over land.