Typhoon Dolphin injured several people and knocked out power in Japan's Okinawa prefecture on Saturday as it moved towards China, Reuters reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the typhoon was about 160 km northwest of Kume Island at 03:00 GMT and moving northwest at around 15 kmph.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kmph, with gusts of up to 216 kmph, the agency said.
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According to the Okinawa prefectural government, five elderly people were injured, however, none of the injuries were life threatening. Three people reportedly fell because of the strong winds.
As reported by Reuters, the typhoon also disrupted electricity supplies leaving around 14,000 buildings in the prefecture without power.
Air travel was also affected, with Reuters reporting that All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines cancelled flights serving areas affected by the storm. The disruption followed earlier cancellations in Japan, where more than 500 flights had been cancelled as Dolphin approached on Friday.
Japanese authorities had also ordered evacuation measures involving nearly 260,000 residents across Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures.
China began preparing for the storm as Dolphin moved towards its eastern coastline, according to Reuters. Chinese authorities shut ports and suspended ferry services ahead of the typhoon's expected arrival. China also issued its highest coastal typhoon alert as authorities prepared for potentially dangerous winds and heavy rainfall.
The storm was forecast to make landfall somewhere between Zhoushan in Zhejiang province and Fuding in Fujian province between late Sunday and early Monday, as reported by Reuters.
Forecasts cited by Reuters indicated that some of easter Zhejiang could receive more than 600 mm of rainfall, raising concerns about flooding and weather-related hazards.
Taiwan also experienced disruptions as the typhoon approached. 63 international flights were cancelled in Taiwan because of the storm. China also imposed maritime traffic controls in the Taiwan Strait as Dolphin approached.
The typhoon arrived as parts of southwestern Japan were already dealing with the aftermath of a recent magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture. Japanese authorities had warned residents about violent winds, heavy rainfall and high waves, while also highlighting the risks of flooding and structural damage.
Reuters reported that around 6,700 people were staying in evacuation centres during preparations for the storm.
Toyota also suspended operations at nine factories as Dolphin approached.
With Dolphin moving towards eastern China, authorities in the region have stepped up preparations for heavy rainfall, strong winds and potentially dangerous coastal conditions ahead of the storm's expected landfall.
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