If you're in Shanghai this weekend or flying in soon, this supersedes anything a guidebook told you about "typhoon season" — a specific storm is hitting the city right now. Typhoon Dolphin made landfall near Taizhou, in neighboring Zhejiang province, Sunday evening (August 9) with winds around 151 km/h (93 mph), and Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Fujian are all under a red alert, the highest level in China's warning system. Heavy rain is forecast to continue into August 10.

Here's exactly what's shut down and what to do about it.

Flights: over 1,300 cancelled

Shanghai's two airports, Pudong and Hongqiao, cancelled more than 1,300 flights — roughly 60% of Sunday's schedule — as the storm approached. If you have a flight in or out of Shanghai on August 9 or 10, check its status directly with your airline before heading to the airport; don't rely on an old confirmation email. Build in extra time even for flights that are still showing as on-schedule, since ground operations and connecting aircraft are backed up across the region.

Metro: three lines fully suspended, more running reduced

Shanghai Metro began cutting service at 3pm on August 9:

  • Lines 5, 16, and the Pujiang Line — suspended entirely.
  • Line 3 — running at reduced speed.
  • Elevated and above-ground sections of Lines 1, 2, 4, 6 through 11, Line 17, and the Airport Link Line — reduced speed, expect delays.
  • All Huangpu River ferries — suspended.

If your hotel or planned activities sit near Line 5, Line 16, or the Pujiang Line, plan an alternate route or expect to wait it out. Check the Shanghai Metro app or Metro Damai / official channels for the latest before you leave, since service levels are being adjusted through the weekend as the storm tracks past.

High-speed rail on the Shanghai–Kunming, Hangzhou–Wenzhou, and Hangzhou–Taizhou lines is suspended into August 11, along with several other routes into Zhejiang and Fujian — this also affects high-speed connections toward Hong Kong and Guangzhou. The Donghai Bridge is closed in both directions. If your itinerary includes a side trip by train this week, check with China Railway (12306) before you plan around it; don't assume a route is running just because it wasn't in the headlines above.

What's closed on the ground

Shanghai Disney Resort closed the park at 8pm and Disneytown at 9pm on August 9, and outdoor attractions across the city are closed through at least August 10. Treat any open-air plan — river cruises, garden visits, rooftop bars — as cancelled until the alert lifts. Indoor options (museums, malls, the aquarium) are your fallback; the Shanghai Museum's new "On Top of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas" exhibition, over 1,100 artifacts from Mexico and Peru alongside Chinese pieces, running through November 2027, is a solid one to have on the list once things reopen. The US Consulate General in Shanghai is also closed August 10.

What to actually do right now

  • Don't go to the airport speculatively. Confirm your flight status online or by app first.
  • Stay off elevated walkways, riverside paths, and rooftop areas while the red alert is active.
  • Keep your phone charged and have your hotel's address written down in Chinese in case data service degrades.
  • Expect one to three days of disruption, based on how past typhoons of this strength have played out in Shanghai — this is not usually a week-long shutdown.
  • If you're rebooking a flight or train, airlines and China Railway have typically waived change fees during red-alert periods in past storms; ask specifically when you call.

The one-line version

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall near Taizhou on August 9 with a red alert covering Shanghai; over 1,300 flights are cancelled, Metro Lines 5, 16, and the Pujiang Line are shut, high-speed rail into Zhejiang and Fujian is suspended through August 11, and outdoor attractions are closed. Check your flight and train status directly, stay indoors, and expect normal service back within a few days.