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

Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, brought torrential rains and flooding to central China, particularly Hubei province. The storm, which traveled nearly 6,000 km before making landfall, caused flooding in streets and forced the closure of tourist areas and construction projects. Four districts on the outskirts of Beijing activated emergency flood responses, anticipating over one-third of the city's annual rainfall in 24 hours.

Hubei, a major manufacturing hub and home to over 58 million people, was still recovering from two tornadoes last month following Typhoon Maysak, which caused at least 11 deaths. In Xiangyang, authorities issued a yellow warning for landslides and floods, with residents navigating water-covered streets and partially submerged shared electric scooters.

As of Tuesday morning, water levels at 35 reservoirs in Xiangyang had exceeded flood-control thresholds, leading to the relocation of 9,705 people. Scenic areas in the province, including the popular Three Gorges Dam tourist area, announced temporary closures. Meanwhile, neighboring Henan province issued a red flash-flood alert, with some areas potentially receiving up to 350 mm of rain through Wednesday afternoon.

Japan, previously hit by Dolphin, prepared for landslides, flooding, and strong winds as the storm moved across its mainland.