Key facts
- Typhoon Dolphin has made landfall in China's Hubei province, causing widespread flooding and disruptions.
- Authorities have issued orange and red alerts for heavy rainfall and flash floods in Hubei and neighboring provinces.
- Tourist areas and high-risk construction projects have been suspended in Hubei.
- Beijing is preparing for extreme rainfall, with emergency flood responses activated.
- The typhoon's storm system was unusually resilient, travelling nearly 6,000 km before landfall.
Typhoon Dolphin has churned deeper inland to the central Chinese province of Hubei, causing flooding, street closures, and suspension of construction projects. Forecasters have warned of extreme rainfall across a broad swathe of the country, with Beijing bracing for significant downpours. The storm system, described as unusually resilient, travelled nearly 6,000 km before making landfall over the weekend, drenching China's eastern coast and bringing a sprawling cloud field that has reached as far as Beijing. Four districts on the capital's outskirts have activated the highest level of emergency flood responses, anticipating more than one-third of their annual rainfall over 24 hours. Hubei, a major manufacturing hub with over 58 million people, is still recovering from two rare tornadoes last month following Typhoon Maysak. In Xiangyang, authorities issued yellow warnings for landslides and floods, with pedestrians wading through submerged streets and drivers navigating deep water. Some residents expressed concern that the flooding could reach their homes. Authorities have deployed workers to clear debris and station drainage trucks in flood-prone areas. The National Meteorological Center renewed an orange alert for heavy rain, with Hubei expected to receive up to 250 mm in 24 hours. Yellow warnings were also issued for cities like Huanggang and Suizhou. Water levels at 35 reservoirs in Xiangyang exceeded flood-control thresholds, prompting the relocation of 9,705 people. Popular tourist sites, including the Three Gorges Dam area, have temporarily closed. Twenty-six of 107 high-risk highway and waterway construction projects in Hubei have been suspended. In neighboring Henan province, a red flash-flood alert was issued. Meanwhile, Japan is preparing for potential landslides, flooding, and strong winds from Typhoon Chan-hom.