In an unprecedented display of strength, Typhoon Dolphin has made landfall in eastern China, triggering mass evacuations and severe disruptions. The typhoon, which struck the financial hub of Shanghai and surrounding provinces on Sunday, has forced over a million residents to flee their homes. With maximum wind speeds of 150km/h (94mph), Dolphin is the strongest storm to hit China this year and has downgraded to a tropical storm, but authorities remain cautious about the potential for torrential rains, severe flooding, and landslides through Wednesday. Chinese officials had issued their highest-level red alert for Dolphin, warning of the impending threat. The storm brought heavy rain to several provinces including Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, causing the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights in Shanghai alone on Monday. Authorities have closed tourist attractions such as parts of Disneyland and Legoland, and several viewing platforms along the Bund in Shanghai, urging people to avoid outdoor activities due to the risk of flooding. State media reported that a nine-year-old boy from Wenling, Zhejiang is missing after being swept into the sea, but no casualties have been reported so far. Parts of Zhejiang could receive 250mm to 500mm of rain over the next few days, forecasters say. Authorities in Hangzhou, Zhejiang's capital city, have waived parking fees for drivers seeking shelter amid the storm. Elsewhere in the province, Wenzhou authorities have relocated nearly a million residents and opened more than 1,000 emergency shelters. In addition, about 390,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in the city of Taizhou. The coastal province of Fujian has suspended dozens of passenger ferry routes and halted over 100 offshore construction projects due to the storm's approach. Dolphin moved over a long distance of 6,000km before making landfall, making it one of the longest-lived typhoons on record for China. The typhoon also brought torrential rains to the Philippines, parts of northern Taiwan, and Japan's Okinawa island before hitting China. Eight people have died in the Philippines due to heavy monsoon rains caused by Dolphin and earlier storms, with more than 7,000 people seeking shelter at evacuation centers nationwide. In Okinawa, Japan, five elderly people suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the storm. Meanwhile, Hong Kong recorded a record high temperature of 36.9C as the typhoon swept warm air over the city. The typhoon season in the western Pacific typically occurs between May and October, and this year is predicted to be particularly intense due to a strong El Niño effect.