Typhoon Dolphin impacts central China, heavy rain forecast
Typhoon Dolphin has advanced further inland, affecting the central Chinese province of Hubei on Tuesday, where tourist attractions have closed and construction projects suspended, as forecasts indicate a significant threat of extreme rainfall in the mountainous northwest, reports BritPanorama.
This storm is the strongest to hit China this year, having traversed over 3,700 miles before making landfall over the weekend, saturating the eastern coast and creating an expansive cloud field. Hubei, home to over 58 million residents and a vital hub for the auto and high-tech electronics industries, experienced two rare tornados last month in the aftermath of Typhoon Maysak, which resulted in at least 11 fatalities.
As of Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center has upgraded the situation with an orange alert for heavy rain, the second-highest alert level, anticipating that northwestern Hubei could see as much as 9.8 inches of rain within a 24-hour period.
Local authorities have responded by issuing a yellow warning for several cities, including Xiangyang, Huanggang, and Suizhou, where the risk of flooding and landslides has increased. Authorities noted the closure of scenic areas and temporary halts to 26 high-risk construction projects out of 107 ongoing in the province, especially the popular Three Gorges Dam site in Yichang.
Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of Hubei’s provincial meteorological observatory, explained that the storm’s peripheral airflow could intensify rainfall as it meets the region’s mountainous terrain. Meanwhile, neighbouring Henan province has declared a red flash-flood alert as the storm continues to direct moisture northward.
The effects of Typhoon Dolphin are expected to extend to Beijing, located more than 600 miles north of Hubei, with four districts in the capital activating Level I emergency flood responses. Authorities anticipate receiving over a third of the city’s yearly rainfall over a 24-hour period starting late Tuesday.
Japan is also bracing for the potential impacts of Typhoon No. 15, Chan-hom, as the Japan Meteorological Agency warns of possible landslides, flooding, and severe winds later on Tuesday.
