Beijing is bracing for heavy rainfall starting the evening of August 11 due to the influence of Typhoon Dolphin, which is expected to bring significant downpours.
The Beijing Meteorological Bureau forecasts strong rain across the city from the evening of August 11 until the afternoon of August 13. The typhoon, moving northward, is bringing warm, humid air that will collide with cold air from northern China, resulting in heavy rainfall.
Accumulated rainfall is expected to exceed 100mm over six hours and 150mm over 24 hours. Particularly intense rain is anticipated from early morning to night on August 12.
In specific areas such as Fangshan, Daxing, Tongzhou, Mentougou, and the Economic and Technological Development Zone, rainfall could exceed 150mm over six hours and 200mm over 24 hours, prompting the issuance of a red alert for heavy rain, the highest warning level. Given that Beijing's average annual rainfall is 528mm, some areas may receive one-third of that amount in just one day.
As of 9 a.m. on August 11, the Beijing city government activated a Level 2 flood response, the second-highest level in China's four-tier flood response system, and began flood prevention efforts.
Authorities will implement a 24-hour emergency work system to monitor rainfall, water levels, and disaster situations, and will take safety measures, including evacuating residents from high-risk areas. Rescue personnel and disaster relief supplies will be deployed as needed.
Starting August 12, businesses and institutions are encouraged to adopt flexible work arrangements, and school closures will be considered based on weather conditions. Construction work may be halted, and road traffic controls will be implemented as necessary.
Earlier, Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on the coast of Zhejiang Province at 5:30 p.m. on August 9 and has since moved inland, bringing heavy rain to central and northern China.
Chinese media, citing meteorological authorities, reported that from 8 a.m. on August 11, Henan Province could see 250-300mm of rain over the next 24 hours, with some areas potentially experiencing hourly rainfall exceeding 80mm.
Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on August 9 at 5:30 p.m. The highest recorded rainfall as of August 8 was in Sanmen, Zhejiang Province, with 970.3mm, while the highest hourly rainfall was recorded in Taixing, Jiangsu Province, at 119.4mm.
In the Xujiahui area of Shanghai, continuous rain fell for 40 hours until 4 p.m. the previous day, accumulating 397.6mm over 48 hours. This led to flooding in various parts of Shanghai, causing road and housing inundation, and prompting the closure of parks and tourist sites.
The typhoon has also disrupted transportation networks, affecting air, rail, and maritime travel. On the previous day, 943 flights were canceled at two major airports in Shanghai.
As of now, there have been no official reports of casualties or property damage due to the typhoon in China.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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