Typhoon Dolphin disrupts life in China's second most populated city
Torrential rain and storms in Typhoon Dolphin's wake have swept through several provinces in China's east, drenching the coastal region and flooding streets in Shanghai, China's second most populated city after Chongqing.
Typhoon Dolphin struck China's second most populated city, Shanghai, on August 9, packing maximum sustained winds of 151 km/h at its core before weakening to a tropical storm. The storm's remnants continued to drench eastern provinces, such as Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shandong, on August 10. Streets in Shanghai, particularly in commercial hubs, were flooded, and both of the city's airports canceled 943 flights, cutting capacity by nearly 40%, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Residents shared live-stream videos showing knee-high murky water, with people wading through the floodwaters in Jiading and Qingpu districts near the city center. 39-year-old Hou Lina, a salesperson in Jiading, expressed shock at the widespread flooding, stating it was the worst she had experienced in the city, where she has lived for 10 years.
In Shanghai's Jinshan district, non-essential businesses and organizations were temporarily halted, along with classes, outdoor events, and transit services, as forecasts predicted continued strong winds and heavy rain. In Zhejiang's Wenzhou, a video captured a truck flipped over by the storm's powerful winds and lashing rain, but the driver's fate remains unknown.
As Dolphin moved deeper inland, forecasters predicted its path would take it through central provinces Hubei and Henan, bringing more rainfall and moisture to northern China. The capital, Beijing, raised flood warnings, preparing for torrential rain from August 11 to 13, with a risk of flash floods and landslides in surrounding mountainous areas.
The typhoon had traveled 6,000 km before making landfall, a life cycle three times longer than an ordinary typhoon, and brought an ultra-large cloud system that enveloped eastern China. Comparisons to Typhoon Doksuri in 2023, which caused destruction in Fujian Province and record-breaking rainfall in Beijing, have been drawn. As the storm clouds meet colder air in the north, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei are expected to deal with continued rain into August 13.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
