Typhoon Dolphin churns inland, threatening central China with extreme rain

Typhoon Dolphin, China's most powerful storm this year, churned inland to the central province of Hubei on Tuesday. The typhoon's extensive system, which traveled nearly 6,000 km before making landfall, has already drenched the country's eastern coast.

Authorities have issued an orange alert for heavy rain in Hubei, with the mountainous northwest expected to see as much as 250 mm of rainfall within 24 hours. This has led to a heightened risk of flooding and landslides. Popular tourist sites, including the Three Gorges Dam area, have temporarily closed. Additionally, 26 high-risk construction projects in Hubei have been suspended.

The storm's impact is being felt far beyond Hubei. In neighboring Henan province, a red flash-flood alert is in effect. Even Beijing, over 1,000 km to the north, is preparing for substantial rainfall, with four districts on the capital's outskirts activating Level I emergency flood responses. The city anticipates receiving more than a third of its annual rainfall in a single day.

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Dolphin's peripheral airflow will be forced to rise when it encounters the mountains in Hubei's western region, causing rainfall to intensify several times over.