Heavy Rains Drench Beijing as China Braces for Typhoon Dolphin

Beijing is under a severe weather alert as multiple districts issued heavy rainfall warnings on Friday evening. Authorities are cautioning residents about potential disasters, including urban flooding in the city center and mudslides and landslides in agricultural and mountainous regions.

These extreme rains are hitting as China braces for Typhoon Dolphin, which is projected to make landfall along the country's eastern coast between Sunday and Monday. The highest rainfall recorded on Friday afternoon was in Miyun district, in northeastern Beijing, where precipitation reached 99.5 millimeters. Several other districts, including Dongcheng, Xicheng, Haidian, Chaoyang, Tongzhou, and Pinggu, are expected to experience hourly rainfall exceeding 50 millimeters.

To manage the anticipated flooding, authorities have mobilized over 2,000 staff members. The impact of severe weather is not limited to Beijing; heavy rains and floods in China's northwestern province of Shaanxi on Thursday caused roads to collapse, damaged bridges, and disrupted power and communication infrastructure, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people.

Meanwhile, China's eastern and southern provinces are actively preparing for Typhoon Dolphin's arrival. Measures include suspending ferry routes, halting construction work, and evacuating fishing boats. Concurrently, central and eastern regions are experiencing a widespread heatwave, with temperatures surpassing 38 degrees Celsius, a heatwave that has also impacted northeastern China and set records on the Korean Peninsula.