Typhoon Dolphin’s vast storm system pushes inland, threatens central China

Typhoon Dolphin, the strongest storm to hit China this year, pushed inland to the central Hubei province on Tuesday, prompting the closure of tourist sites and halting construction projects. The typhoon, which traveled a remarkable 6,000 km before making landfall, brought an unusually strong storm system with it, drenching eastern China and bringing a vast cloud field.

Hubei, a major industrial hub with over 58 million residents, has been hit twice by rare tornadoes in recent weeks. The National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert for heavy rain in the province, warning of up to 250 mm of rain within 24 hours. Authorities have also issued a yellow warning for cities such as Xiangyang, Huanggang, and Suizhou, citing an increased risk of flooding and landslides.

Scenic areas, including the popular Three Gorges Dam tourist attraction in Yichang, have temporarily closed. Of the 107 major highway and waterway construction projects in Hubei, 26 high-risk projects have been suspended. As Dolphin's peripheral airflow encounters the mountains in Hubei's western region, the intensity of rainfall will increase several times over, according to Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of Hubei's provincial meteorological observatory.

In neighboring Henan province, authorities issued a red flash-flood alert as the storm continues to channel moisture northward. The storm's impact could reach Beijing, over 1,000 km away. Four districts on the capital's outskirts have activated Level I emergency flood responses, as the city anticipates more than one-third of its annual rainfall in 24 hours starting late Tuesday.

Japan is also preparing for landslides, flooding, and strong winds after receiving a warning from the Japan Meteorological Agency, which predicts Typhoon No. 15, Chan-hom, could move across Japan's mainland later on Tuesday.