Rain pounds Beijing as Typhoon Dolphin sweeps through China

Beijing experienced intense rainfall from a powerful typhoon, causing flooding and traffic disruptions across the city. The strongest typhoon of the year hit China, lashing the capital with heavy rain that resulted in flooded roads and stranded vehicles. The typhoon set new rainfall records in central and eastern provinces, bringing heavy rain to various regions.

Beijing declared its second-highest rainstorm warning, suspending bus routes and closing tourist attractions. Ten subway lines slowed down as the city dealt with the torrential downpours. The downpours turned a multi-lane road into a virtual river, causing vehicles to be submerged, with images circulating on China's Rednote app.

The northern district of Changping recorded the highest hourly rainfall, receiving 90.7 mm of rain within an hour. The typhoon weakened as it traveled 6,000 km to hit land in Zhejiang province on Sunday, but its remnants are still bringing tropical moisture inland, raising flood risks. Numerous cars gathered on a bridge in Yuhuan, a coastal city, as almost 200 mm of rain submerged nearby streets.

State media reported that rainfall records were shattered in parts of Zhejiang and the central provinces of Henan and Hubei. The city of Wugang, home to a major steel company, received 209.5 mm of rain, while Xiangyang got 169.1 mm in a single day. People in northern and central regions braced themselves for more days of rain from the storm's remnants.

Chinese meteorologists are turning to artificial intelligence weather models to improve forecasting and enhance resilience against extreme weather events. Extreme rainfall causes billions of dollars in economic losses each year due to disrupted manufacturing and crop damage.