Typhoon Dolphin strengthens toward Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan with sea warnings expected by Friday

Japan's Meteorological Agency classified Typhoon Dolphin as a very strong typhoon on August 3, tracking west-northwest from waters near Minamitorishima; Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said a sea warning could be issued as early as Friday afternoon if the storm holds its westward track toward the Ryukyu Islands

Weather· active The Quiet Shift·How Life Changes ·4 takes ·Aug 2, 2026 16:00Z ·rbtfl upd Aug 4, 2026

Summary

Japan's Meteorological Agency on August 3 classified Typhoon Dolphin as a very strong typhoon, moving west-northwest from waters near Minamitorishima Island in the western Pacific. Forecast models broadly agreed the storm would pass near or through the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, before potentially affecting Taiwan later in the week. Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said it could issue a sea warning as early as Friday afternoon if Dolphin held its track, and warned that the storm's large wind radius could bring torrential rain to northern mountainous areas. Typhoon Dolphin had formed in late July as a weaker system in the central Pacific; it intensified rapidly through early August.

The split

Taiwan and Japan outlets each tracked the storm primarily through its threat to their own territory, with Taiwanese meteorologists focused on the Friday sea-warning threshold and Japanese services tracking the Okinawa approach angle. No significant divergence in storm assessment, though the precise landfall track remained a key source of uncertainty across forecasters.

By the numbers

24.4°N, position of Typhoon Dolphin's centre as of 09:00 JST August 3
21 kph, westward speed of the storm as of the August 3 JMA bulletin
2,590 km, distance from Taipei at that time
Friday (August 7), earliest date Taiwan's CWA expected to issue a sea warning

Why it matters

Typhoon Dolphin is tracking directly toward one of the most economically active shipping and air corridors in East Asia. The Ryukyu chain hosts major US military installations; Taiwan's northern mountain terrain amplifies rainfall risk. The storm's large radius means impacts could spread well beyond the direct track.

What to watch

JMA and CWA track updates through Thursday as the storm approaches the Ryukyu window
Whether Taiwan issues a sea warning Friday and upgrades to a land warning before the weekend
Any course deviations that shift the primary impact from Okinawa toward Taiwan's main island or Japan's home islands

Regional takes · 2

▸ Taiwan's principal English-language newspaper; tracked the storm's threat to Taiwan, reporting the CWA's sea-warning timeline and forecast model convergence on the Ryukyu-then-Taiwan track

Taipei Times · Taiwan · en · Aug 2, 2026 16:00Z

Taipei Times reported Taiwan's Central Weather Administration warning that a sea warning for Typhoon Dolphin could be issued as early as Friday afternoon, with forecast models agreeing the storm would pass the Ryukyu Islands before potentially affecting northern Taiwan later that week.

“The CWA said it could issue a sea warning for Typhoon Dolphin as early as Friday afternoon, warning that the storm's large radius could bring torrential rain to northern mountainous areas.”

Source ↗

▸ Japan-based private meteorological service; provided JMA data on the storm's August 3 position, intensity classification and projected path toward Okinawa and Amami

Weathernews (Japan) · Japan · en · Aug 3, 2026 01:00Z

Weathernews reported that Japan's Meteorological Agency classified Typhoon Dolphin as a 'very strong' typhoon at 09:00 JST on August 3, located near Minamitorishima at 24.4°N, moving west; forecasts projected approach toward the Amami and Okinawa regions.

“Typhoon No. 13 DOLPHIN, currently classified as a very strong typhoon, was located over the waters near Minamitorishima Island as of 09:00 JST on August 3.”