Typhoon Dolphin has brought intense rainfall, flooding and widespread disruption to parts of eastern China, while its influence is also being felt thousands of kilometres away in India. Although the storm is not expected to make landfall in India, its large-scale atmospheric circulation could temporarily affect the development of rain-bearing systems over the Bay of Bengal.

The typhoon made landfall in China on Sunday evening, August 9, and continued to bring heavy rain to several provinces on Monday. Authorities warned of further flooding and landslide risks as the system moved northward.

For India, however, the concern is different. Meteorologists are watching whether Dolphin's interaction with the broader Asian atmospheric circulation could reduce the moisture available over the Bay of Bengal, potentially weakening monsoon systems over central, eastern and northern parts of the country.

Typhoon Hits China

Typhoon Dolphin made its first landfall near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province at around 5:30 pm local time on Sunday before making another landfall near Wenzhou roughly an hour later, according to Chinese meteorological authorities.

The storm weakened after moving inland but continued to produce torrential rainfall across several regions, including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Henan and Shandong. Shanghai was also badly affected, with flooding reported in several areas.

The extreme weather disrupted transportation across the region. Shanghai's two major passenger airports cancelled hundreds of flights, while some railway and public transport services were temporarily suspended.

Authorities had taken precautionary measures before the storm arrived. More than one million people were evacuated from parts of Shanghai, while large-scale evacuations were also carried out in Wenzhou and Taizhou.

Several tourist attractions and public facilities were closed as authorities warned residents to avoid unnecessary outdoor movement.

Wider Regional Impact

The effects of Dolphin have extended beyond mainland China. Hong Kong experienced unusually high temperatures as warm air associated with the storm moved across the region.

Parts of Japan's Okinawa region also experienced strong winds, while the Philippines reported a landslide in Baguio that resulted in people being rescued and others reported missing.

These developments highlight how powerful tropical systems can influence weather patterns well beyond their immediate path.

Why India Is Watching Dolphin

India is not directly in the path of Typhoon Dolphin. The concern is instead linked to the storm's influence on the wider atmospheric circulation across Asia.

Large tropical cyclones can draw substantial amounts of heat and moisture towards their circulation. When such a system becomes active in the western Pacific, it can alter the distribution of moisture and atmospheric energy across the region.

For India's monsoon, this matters because the Bay of Bengal is an important source of moisture for low-pressure areas and depressions that move inland and produce widespread rainfall.

If the atmospheric conditions over the Bay of Bengal become less favourable for the formation of these systems, rainfall activity over parts of central, eastern and northern India could temporarily weaken.

Monsoon Moisture Under Pressure

Weather experts have described the situation as a competition for atmospheric moisture and energy.

Typhoon Dolphin is concentrating significant moisture around its circulation. At the same time, changes in upper-level winds associated with the storm could influence the position and behaviour of the monsoon trough.

The result could be a temporary disruption in the sequence of low-pressure systems normally responsible for transporting moisture from the Bay of Bengal into the Indian subcontinent.

However, this does not mean that the Indian monsoon is disappearing or that Dolphin has directly "stolen" India's rainfall.

The monsoon is controlled by a complex interaction involving ocean temperatures, atmospheric circulation, pressure patterns, the monsoon trough and weather systems developing across the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal.

What Happens Next?

The key question is whether another low-pressure system will develop over the Bay of Bengal in the coming days.

If favourable conditions return, rainfall activity could strengthen again across parts of India. If the broader atmospheric pattern remains disturbed, some regions could experience a temporary reduction in rainfall.

The impact of Typhoon Dolphin therefore needs to be viewed as part of a much larger Asian weather pattern rather than as a direct cause of India's monsoon behaviour.

For now, the storm's immediate threat remains concentrated in China, where authorities continue to monitor flooding and landslide risks. In India, weather agencies and meteorologists will be watching the Bay of Bengal closely for signs of the next monsoon system.