Local militia personnel clear water and drain waterlogged roads in Hefei, East China’s Anhui Province, on August 11, 2026. Photo: IC

As Typhoon Dolphin moved farther inland, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to inland areas as far north as Beijing, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued an orange alert for heavy rain, along with blue alerts for typhoons and severe convective weather. Some areas are expected to see rainfall of 250 to 300 millimeters, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday. 

The China Meteorological Administration maintained a Level II emergency response on Tuesday as Typhoon Dolphin, its remnants, and cold air were forecast to bring heavy rain to parts of eastern and northern China including Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Hebei and Beijing over the next three days, CCTV reported. 

The center of Typhoon Dolphin, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, was located in Huanggang, Central China’s Hubei Province at 8 am on Tuesday, with maximum winds of 20 meters per second in its outer circulation. The typhoon is expected to move west-northwestward at a speed of 15 to 20 kilometers per hour, gradually weakening in intensity, CCTV reported. 

From Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, parts of multiple regions including western Jiangsu, north-central Anhui, Henan, central and western Hubei, western and southern Hebei, Beijing, central and western Inner Mongolia, northwestern Heilongjiang, and southwestern Yunnan are expected to experience heavy to torrential rainfall. Some areas in central Henan could see extreme rainfall, with accumulated precipitation reaching 250 to 300 millimeters, according to CCTV. 

Beijing activated a Level II flood-control emergency response at 9 am on Tuesday, with authorities at all levels throughout the city mobilizing flood prevention measures, CCTV reported. 

According to the Beijing Meteorological Service’s forecast, from Tuesday evening through Thursday, most parts of Beijing will experience heavy rainfall, with accumulated precipitation expected to exceed 100 millimeters in six hours and 150 millimeters in 24 hours. 

In seven areas including Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Mentougou, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Huairou, and Fengtai, six-hour rainfall totals could exceed 150 millimeters, while 24-hour accumulations could surpass 200 millimeters, CCTV reported. 

Beijing’s flood control authorities ordered personnel responsible for urban waterlogging hotspots to take their posts from noon on Tuesday, with drainage equipment and flood barriers pre-positioned.

The city’s flood control authorities also ordered the evacuation of people in flood- and landslide-prone areas before 6 pm on Tuesday and required work at construction sites to be suspended and mountain campsites and related tourist attractions to be closed.

Starting Wednesday, Beijing will encourage flexible work arrangements and staggered commuting, while schools may suspend classes and offline training, as well as outdoor teaching activities. Outdoor sports events will be halted, traffic controls imposed in high-risk areas, and public transport adjusted according to weather conditions and safety needs, CCTV reported. 

As significant rainfall is expected to begin affecting western and southern parts of Shandong Province on Tuesday, Jinan city has taken precautionary measures in advance, with multiple large and medium-sized reservoirs carrying out controlled pre-releases to create additional flood-control capacity and prepare for rainfall brought by the typhoon, CCTV reported. 

In Henan Province, the provincial department of water resources and provincial meteorological service jointly issued a red alert for flash floods at 8 am. It is forecast that from 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday, some mountainous areas in multiple cities and counties.

Typhoon Dolphin’s impact is far from over despite the typhoon having made landfall twice in Zhejiang. Zhang Fanghua, chief forecaster at the NMC, said on Monday that Dolphin’s extensive cloud system and abundant moisture reserves have prevented its residual circulation from dissipating quickly. Instead, the residual circulation is expected to continue moving northward and westward. Over the next week, it is forecast to bring widespread and prolonged heavy rainfall to East China, North China, the Huanghuai region and even Northeast China, with some areas potentially experiencing extreme rainfall, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

Global Times