Typhoon Dolphin Brings Heavy Rain and Disruption to Central China

In Xiangyang, China, Typhoon Dolphin advanced inland to the central Chinese province of Hubei on Tuesday. The typhoon’s arrival led to the closure of tourist areas and a halt in construction projects, as forecasts warned of potential extreme rainfall, particularly in the province’s mountainous northwest.

This is the strongest typhoon to hit China in 2023. Dolphin carried an enduring storm system that traveled over 3,700 miles before reaching land, causing heavy rains along China’s eastern coast. The storm also spread a vast cloud field across the region.

Hubei, a significant center for automotive and high-tech electronics manufacturing, has a population exceeding 58 million. The province recently faced two rare tornadoes due to Typhoon Maysak, which resulted in at least 11 fatalities.

Photographer Hector Retamal captured people visiting the Bund in heavy rain on Monday, the day after Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in Shanghai.

On Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert, the second-highest warning level, for heavy rain. Northwestern Hubei could receive up to 9.8 inches of rain within 24 hours. Local authorities in Hubei announced a yellow warning for cities such as Xiangyang, Huanggang, and Suizhou due to the increased risk of floods and landslides.

Scenic spots across the province, like the famous Three Gorges Dam tourist area in Yichang, have temporarily shut down. Of 107 active highway and waterway construction projects, 26 identified as high-risk have paused.

Dolphin’s peripheral airflow will encounter the western mountains of Hubei, intensifying rainfall significantly, explained Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of Hubei’s provincial meteorological observatory, to Hubei Daily.

In the neighboring Henan province, authorities issued a red flash-flood alert, as the storm propels moisture northward.

Damage from Typhoon Dolphin in Wenzhou was documented on Monday by photographer Yu Riqian.

The storm’s impact could extend to Beijing, located more than 600 miles north of Hubei. The capital’s outskirts have triggered Level I emergency flood responses in four districts. The city prepared for the possibility of receiving over one-third of its annual rainfall within 24 hours starting late Tuesday.

Photographer Cai Kuanyuan captured floodwaters in Yueqing on Monday.

Japan is also on alert for landslides, flooding, and strong winds. The Japan Meteorological Agency has indicated that Typhoon No. 15, Chan-hom, might cross Japan’s mainland on Tuesday.