Typhoon Dolphin floods central China, puts Beijing on alert for heavy rain

Typhoon Dolphin churned deeper inland to China's central Hubei province on Tuesday, flooding streets, shutting tourist sites and halting construction projects.

Forecasters warned of extreme rainfall across a broad swathe of the country as the storm's reach extended north toward Beijing, more than 1,000 km away.

How is Typhoon Dolphin affecting Beijing?

Four districts on Beijing's outskirts activated the highest level of emergency flood response as the capital braced for more than one-third of its annual rainfall within 24 hours, starting late Tuesday.

The storm's cloud field extended far beyond its landfall point on China's eastern coast. Dolphin is the strongest typhoon to hit China this year.

Why is Hubei province especially vulnerable right now?

Hubei, a major auto and high-tech electronics manufacturing hub home to more than 58 million people, was still recovering from two rare tornadoes last month. Those tornadoes struck in the wake of Typhoon Maysak, which killed at least 11 people. The province is now facing a second major weather emergency within weeks.

In Xiangyang, where authorities issued a yellow warning for landslides and floods, pedestrians waded through water-covered streets as submerged electric scooters lined the roads. At one crossroads, drivers slowed to push vehicles through water more than 30 cm deep, while others turned back. Sixty-year-old resident Huang, who delayed a grocery trip due to the rain, said her neighborhood floods often and worried the water could reach her home.

Rainwater gushed onto a lower-lying highway from elevated motorbike paths nearby, prompting authorities to deploy workers to remove concrete barriers and speed up drainage. On another flood-prone highway stretch, authorities had stationed a drainage truck in advance.

How much rain has Hubei received so far?

The National Meteorological Center renewed an orange alert for heavy rain on Tuesday, the second-highest warning level, with Hubei expected to receive up to 250 mm of rain within 24 hours. Authorities also issued yellow warnings for the cities of Huanggang and Suizhou, in addition to Xiangyang.

Water levels at 35 reservoirs in Xiangyang exceeded flood-control thresholds by Tuesday morning, prompting authorities to relocate 9,705 people. Scenic areas across the province announced temporary closures, including the popular Three Gorges Dam tourist site in Yichang. All but two of Xiangyang's 59 major scenic spots were shut.

Which construction projects have been suspended?

Of 107 major highway and waterway construction projects underway in Hubei, authorities suspended 26 deemed high-risk. Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of Hubei's provincial meteorological observatory, told local newspaper Hubei Daily that Dolphin's peripheral airflow would intensify rainfall several times over as it meets mountains in the province's western region.

In neighboring Henan province, authorities issued a red flash-flood alert as the storm continued channeling moisture northward. Forecasters said some areas could receive up to 350 mm of rain through Wednesday afternoon.

Is Japan also affected by storms this week?

Japan, which Dolphin battered before the storm reached China, was preparing separately for landslides, flooding and strong winds. The Japan Meteorological Agency said Typhoon No. 15, Chan-hom, could move across Japan's mainland later on Tuesday.