Key facts
- Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in Zhejiang province with 151 km/h winds.
- Record rainfall has caused severe flooding and landslides in northern and central China, including Beijing, Henan, and Hubei provinces.
- Thousands have been evacuated from at-risk areas in Beijing.
- Shanghai recorded its highest 24-hour rainfall in over 150 years.
- Henan province issued a red alert for torrential rain, forecasting up to 350mm.
- Scientists attribute the increased intensity of extreme weather events to climate change and El Niño.
Typhoon Dolphin, China's strongest storm this year, has weakened after making landfall but its remnants continue to bring torrential rain to northern and central China, causing severe flooding and record precipitation. Beijing is under an orange rainstorm warning, with forecasts predicting rainfall that could exceed one-third of its annual average. Authorities have closed tourist sites, suspended transport, and relocated thousands from at-risk areas. Henan province is under a red alert, with forecasts of up to 350mm of rain. Record rainfall has already been observed in Wugang and Xiangyang, and Shanghai experienced its highest 24-hour rainfall in over 150 years. Scientists link the increasing intensity of such weather events to climate change and the El Niño pattern.