Typhoon Dolphin batters China: Hundreds of flights cancelled, lakhs evacuated as floods hit east
Typhoon Dolphin pushed deeper inland into China’s central Hubei province on Tuesday, prompting the closure of tourist sites and suspension of high-risk construction projects. Forecasts warned of extreme rainfall, with flooding and landslides posing a risk across the province, as Chinese authorities evacuated more than a million people.China’s national meteorological center renewed an orange alert for heavy rain, the second-highest warning level, with northwestern Hubei expected to receive as much as 250 mm of rain in 24 hours. Authorities also issued a yellow warning for cities including Xiangyang, Huanggang and Suizhou.Hubei, a major hub for automobile and high-tech electronics manufacturing, is home to more than 58 million people. The province was hit by two rare tornadoes last month in the aftermath of Typhoon Maysak, which killed at least 11 people.The storm moved over a long distance of 6,000km before making landfall, suggesting a lifespan of more than three times that of an average typhoon, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.Dolphin, the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, travelled nearly 6,000 km before making landfall over the weekend, drenching the country’s eastern coast and carrying a sprawling cloud field inland, Reuters reported.Hubei authorities temporarily closed scenic areas, including the popular Three Gorges Dam tourist area in Yichang. Of 107 major highway and waterway construction projects under way across the province, 26 high-risk projects were suspended.The storm’s effects are expected to extend more than 1,000 km north to Beijing. Four districts on the capital’s outskirts activated Level I emergency flood responses as the city prepared for more than one-third of its annual rainfall in a 24-hour period from late Tuesday.Beijing’s meteorological service forecast heavy rain across most of the capital from Tuesday evening through Thursday, with cumulative rainfall expected to exceed 100 mm in six hours and 150 mm in 24 hours. Some districts, including Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou and Fengtai, could receive more than 200 mm in 24 hours.The storm is also being closely monitored in Japan. The Japan meteorological agency said Typhoon No. 15, Chan-hom, could move across mainland Japan, with authorities preparing for possible landslides, flooding and strong winds.
