Typhoon Dolphin floods China: Roads, construction and tourism hit by extreme rain

Dolphin became the strongest typhoon to hit China so far this year. Its unusually large weather system travelled nearly 6,000 km before it made landfall, reported Reuters. Its effects have reached areas more than 1,000 km from the point where it first struck China.

The storm forced authorities to close tourist attractions, suspend high-risk construction work and relocate thousands of people. Roads and highways in several areas also came under water.

Shanghai faced major travel disruption after heavy rain from Dolphin hit eastern China. The city’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports cancelled over 900 flights in the last 24 hours, or about 40% of scheduled flights, AP reported. The airports had already cancelled around 1,300 flights a day earlier.

Metro services also stopped in some parts of Shanghai. China Railway Chengdu Group suspended 115 trains, according to state news agency Xinhua, as authorities prepared for more flooding and landslides.

The storm also forced large-scale evacuations. At least 760,000 people had moved to safer areas before the typhoon or as its impact grew, reported AP. Over 390,000 people relocated to Taizhou in Zhejiang province, where Dolphin made landfall.

Authorities in Shanghai moved more than 210,000 people from areas considered vulnerable. Fujian province evacuated another 160,000 people.

Dolphin made landfall in Taizhou on Sunday evening with winds of about 151 kmph, reported AP. It had earlier brought heavy rain to northern Taiwan.

The typhoon then moved northwest at around 15 to 20 kmph and began to weaken. But its large cloud and moisture field continued to produce heavy rain far from the original landfall area.

Why is Hubei facing severe flood risks?

Hubei has become one of the main areas of concern as Dolphin moves inland. The province is home to over 58 million people and has a major automobile and high-tech electronics manufacturing sector, reported Reuters.

Heavy rain caused flooding in several parts of Hubei on Tuesday. In Xiangyang, pedestrians had to walk through water-covered roads. Shared electric scooters stood partly submerged in floodwater.

At one busy crossroads, drivers slowed down to cross roads where the water reached more than 30 cm. Some drivers turned back rather than risk driving through the flooded section, Reuters reported.

The flooding also affected major roads. Rainwater rushed onto a lower section of a highway from elevated motorbike paths on both sides. Workers in safety gear removed parts of the concrete to help the water drain faster.

Authorities also placed a drainage truck at another section of a highway that often floods.

The National Meteorological Center renewed an orange warning for heavy rain on Tuesday. Orange represents the second-highest level in China’s weather warning system.

Some parts of Hubei could receive up to 250 mm of rain within 24 hours, Reuters reported.

Authorities issued yellow warnings for landslides and floods in Xiangyang, Huanggang and Suizhou. Water levels at 35 reservoirs in Xiangyang had crossed flood-control thresholds by Tuesday morning.

The situation forced authorities to relocate 9,705 people in Xiangyang. The storm also disrupted tourism across Hubei. Several scenic locations announced temporary closures. The popular Three Gorges Dam tourist area in Yichang was among the sites affected.

Only two of Xiangyang’s 59 major scenic spots remained open, reported Reuters. 

Construction work also faced restrictions. Hubei had 107 major highway and waterway construction projects underway. Authorities suspended 26 projects that they classified as high-risk.

The move aimed to reduce risks to workers as rainfall intensified and floodwaters rose.

Hubei officials also warned that the province’s western mountains could make the rainfall worse. Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of the Hubei provincial meteorological observatory, told Hubei Daily that Dolphin’s airflow would rise when it met the mountains.

That process could cause rainfall to intensify several times, Reuters reported.

The risk did not stop at Hubei. Neighbouring Henan province issued a red flash-flood alert as the storm pushed moisture farther north.

Some areas could receive up to 350 mm of rain through Wednesday afternoon, according to forecasters cited by Reuters.

How far has Dolphin’s impact spread?

Dolphin’s effects have extended well beyond the areas closest to its landfall. Beijing, more than 1,000 km north of Hubei, also prepared for heavy rain.

Four districts on the outskirts of the Chinese capital activated the highest level of emergency flood response. Forecasters expected Beijing to receive more than one-third of its annual rainfall within a 24-hour period starting early Tuesday, Reuters reported.

The storm has therefore created risks across a wide section of China rather than affecting only the eastern coastline.

Dolphin had already caused significant disruption in Zhejiang and Shanghai before moving inland. In Zhejiang, authorities closed tourist attractions and prepared for flooding.

Hangzhou temporarily shut its famous West Lake scenic areas along with temples, parks and museums. Officials planned to reopen them on Tuesday, subject to conditions, reported AP.

In Yueqing, Zhejiang, authorities searched flooded homes for people who might have become trapped, AP reported.

The storm also affected transport and daily life across eastern China. Flight cancellations, railway suspensions and metro closures disrupted travel for thousands of passengers.

The wider weather system also affected other parts of Asia. Dolphin did not directly hit the Philippines, but it strengthened seasonal monsoon rains over northern Luzon. Those rains caused floods and landslides across the region.

A landslide buried three houses in Baguio on Sunday night. Rescuers recovered 10 bodies over two days, AP reported. Three other people survived with injuries and received hospital treatment.

The deaths pushed the toll from almost a week of torrential rain, floods and a tropical storm in northern Luzon to 19, according to the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense.

Over one million people faced the effects of heavy monsoon rain and flooding in the region. Around 98,000 people had to leave their homes.

Another storm also posed a threat to Japan. Tropical Storm Chan-hom moved towards Japan’s Pacific coast, with winds of about 83 kmph on Monday morning. The Japan Meteorological Agency expected the storm to strengthen slightly before it reached the mainland between Tuesday and Wednesday, AP reported.

Dolphin’s weakening as it moved inland did not remove the flood threat. Large amounts of moisture remained in the weather system, allowing heavy rain to continue across central and northern China.