Typhoon Dolphin has become the biggest travel disruption story in East Asia this week, affecting flights, ferries and airport operations across Japan, China and parts of Taiwan. The storm first lashed Japan’s Okinawa prefecture with winds of up to 144 kmph, forcing the closure of Naha Airport and the cancellation of all domestic and international flights for a period. Japanese authorities also issued evacuation orders for residents in Okinawa and Kagoshima as heavy rain and dangerous waves battered the region.

The storm has since moved westward and made landfall in China’s Zhejiang province, where authorities reported winds of about 151 kmph before the system weakened into a tropical storm. Even after weakening, Dolphin brought intense rainfall to eastern China, triggering flooding concerns, evacuations and major transport disruption. Shanghai has been among the worst affected, with more than 1,300 flights cancelled across Pudong and Hongqiao airports and some public transport services suspended as record rainfall inundated parts of the city.

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For travellers, this is a reminder that typhoon-related disruption is often felt far beyond the storm’s exact path.

August and September are peak typhoon months for Okinawa and parts of coastal East Asia, and aviation schedules can change rapidly even when skies appear relatively calm. Airlines typically cancel flights not only because of conditions at the departure airport, but also because aircraft and crews are unable to operate safely through affected air corridors.

Anyone flying to Okinawa, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou or Taipei in the coming days should check four things before leaving for the airport:

1. Verify the status of both airports on your itinerary. A flight from Delhi or Mumbai may depart on time, but onward connections through Shanghai or Okinawa could still be cancelled or significantly delayed.

2. Look for airline travel waivers. During major weather events, carriers often allow free date changes or refunds for affected routes. These policies are usually published on airline websites and mobile apps before airport announcements become widely visible.

3. Monitor ferry and island transport services if your trip involves Okinawa’s smaller islands or Taiwan’s offshore islands. Taiwan has already suspended dozens of ferry services and adjusted some flight operations because of the storm’s outer rain bands. Focus Taiwan

4. Build extra time into your itinerary. Tight same-day connections, cruise departures and non-refundable hotel bookings become particularly risky during typhoon season.

Importantly, travellers should avoid treating the storm as a sightseeing opportunity. Coastal authorities in both Japan and China have warned of high waves, flooding and landslide risks, and local emergency services are focused on protecting residents and restoring essential transport links. The broader lesson is that weather resilience has become an essential part of international travel planning. Flexible hotel reservations, comprehensive travel insurance that covers weather disruption, downloaded offline boarding passes and real-time airline notifications are no longer optional extras for travellers heading to East Asia during late summer.

Typhoon Dolphin will eventually move inland and weaken further, but its impact on aviation networks could continue for several days. For passengers with upcoming departures to Japan or eastern China, the safest approach is simple: check your airline before you check out of your hotel and assume that schedules may continue to change until local authorities declare conditions fully normalised.

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