Typhoon Dolphin Remnants Drench Half of China, Triggering Severe Flooding

The remnants of this year’s 13th typhoon, “Dolphin,” continue to wreak havoc, with torrential rain drenching nearly half of China. Eight districts in Beijing experienced extremely heavy rainfall, with severe flooding reported in numerous areas, while the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was hit particularly hard. Zhejiang, Hubei, Shanxi, and other regions remain on emergency alert, with some areas even forced to implement “five suspensions.”

According to The Beijing News, from the afternoon of Aug. 11 through the night of Aug. 12, Beijing experienced a period of intense rainfall under the combined influence of Typhoon Dolphin, warm and humid air carried by its remnant circulation, and cold air from the north. Heavy to torrential rain fell across the city, with extremely heavy rainfall in some areas. Average precipitation reached 1.4 inches (35.5 mm) citywide, while urban districts averaged 1.38 inches (35.0 mm).

Eight Beijing districts—Miyun, Yanqing, Daxing, Shunyi, Huairou, Changping, Tongzhou, and Chaoyang—recorded extremely heavy rainfall. The highest total, 8.12 inches (206.2 mm), was recorded in Mujiayu, Miyun District. Mujiayu also recorded the greatest hourly rainfall, with 3.78 inches (96.1 mm) falling between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. on Aug. 12. Nearly 4 inches of rain in a single hour qualifies as an extreme short-duration rainfall event.

Localized rainfall was particularly intense. Parts of Miyun, Changping, Shunyi, Yanqing, and Pinggu districts all recorded hourly rainfall exceeding 2.76 inches (70 mm). At the national meteorological station in Changping, 3.57 inches (90.7 mm) fell between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 12, breaking the station’s previous record since it was established in 1954.

According to multiple videos circulating online, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Henan were struck by unusually intense rainfall that caused severe urban flooding, leaving numerous areas inundated. Some parts of Beijing received more than 3.78 inches (96 mm) of rain in a single hour. One resident said floodwaters in a nearby low-lying area had already risen to waist level.

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Many Chinese internet users questioned how Dolphin, which made landfall twice in Zhejiang Province, could affect Beijing nearly 1,240 miles (2,000 km) away. According to Beijing Daily’s website, a typhoon that makes landfall in Zhejiang can directly trigger extreme rainfall in Beijing through two mechanisms: its “remnant vortex moving northward” and “long-distance moisture transport.”

One shocked internet user responded: “Wouldn’t places closer to it be even more doomed?”

Typhoon Dolphin remnants could trigger flooding as regions remain on alert

According to reports compiled from Chinese Communist Party state broadcaster CCTV, Jimu News, and other mainland Chinese media, Dolphin has already been declassified as a typhoon. However, its remnant circulation continued to affect large areas beginning Aug. 13, bringing heavy to torrential rain—and locally extremely heavy rainfall—to parts of the Huang-Huai region, Jianghuai, Jiangnan, and southern China. The precipitation covered a broad area, although the heaviest rainfall was relatively scattered.

According to forecasts, from Aug. 12 to 16, rivers in the Taihu Lake basin and surrounding river networks were expected to remain above warning levels. Significant rises in water levels were also expected along the lower Yangtze River, the middle and lower Han River, the upper and middle Huai River, the Wei River in the Hai River basin, and other major rivers and lakes.

Officially numbered flood events were forecast for the Shaying, Hongru, and Chu rivers, while the main channels of the middle Huai River and middle and lower Han River were expected to approach warning levels. Some smaller and medium-sized rivers within the torrential-rain zones could exceed warning levels, with a high risk of flash flooding.

In Hubei Province, authorities evacuated 53,800 people as a precaution and closed 4,656 tourist sites, construction projects, businesses, and mines. The province and 11 prefecture-level jurisdictions—including Shiyan, Suizhou, Huanggang, Jingmen, and Xiaogan—activated Level IV flood-control emergency responses, while Xiangyang raised its response to Level III.

From 7:00 a.m. on Aug. 11 to 7:00 a.m. on Aug. 12, precipitation was recorded at 2,004 monitoring stations across Shanxi Province. Three stations received more than 3.94 inches (100 mm) of rain, while 29 recorded between 1.97 and 3.94 inches (50–100 mm). The highest total, 4.97 inches (126.3 mm), was recorded in Yingpan Village, Gujiao Township, Lingchuan County. At 7 p.m. that day, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level IV flood-control emergency response for Shanxi.

The Paper reported that Typhoon Dolphin’s remnant cloud system continued to exert its influence in Zhejiang. Yuhuan, where the typhoon first made landfall, experienced extremely heavy rainfall on Aug. 12 and once again implemented the “five suspensions”—the suspension of classes, work, production, transportation, and business operations.

In the early hours of Aug. 12, authorities in Yuhuan, Taizhou, announced that extremely heavy rainfall had caused severe water accumulation on roads and that comprehensive control measures would be implemented under the city’s flood-control emergency response. Between 9:00 p.m. on Aug. 11 and 6:50 a.m. on Aug. 12, average rainfall across Yuhuan reached 6.04 inches (153.3 mm), prompting meteorological authorities to issue a red rainstorm warning.

Typhoon Dolphin affects at least 18 provincial-level regions

China’s Central Meteorological Observatory issued an orange rainstorm warning and a blue severe-convective-weather warning at 6:00 a.m. on Aug. 12. From 8:00 a.m. on Aug. 12 to 8:00 a.m. on Aug. 13, heavy to torrential rain was forecast for parts of Henan, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Anhui, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Guangxi, Guangdong, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, and Yunnan.

Parts of Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Zhejiang, Hebei, and Beijing were expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall. Some areas of central Henan and mountainous western Henan were forecast to receive 9.84 to 11.02 inches (250–280 mm) of rain.

Some of these regions were also expected to experience intense short-duration rainfall, with localized thunderstorms, strong winds, hail, and other severe convective weather.

Meanwhile, parts of northeastern China, the Huang-Huai region, Jianghuai, Jiangnan, and southwestern China were forecast to experience thunderstorm winds of Force 8 or greater, or hail. Some areas of Heilongjiang could experience thunderstorm winds exceeding Force 10, with maximum winds reaching Force 11 or higher. Authorities said localized tornadoes could not be ruled out.

Typhoon Dolphin remarkably remained active for 15 consecutive days and repeatedly intensified, maintaining super-typhoon strength for a combined 5.5 days—something described as extremely rare in the world of tropical cyclones.