Typhoon "Dolphin" moved deeper into China on Tuesday toward the central province of Hubei, leading to the closure of tourist areas and the suspension of construction projects, as forecasters warned of the danger of extreme rainfall in the mountainous northwest of the province, UNN writes, citing Reuters.
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The strongest typhoon to hit China this year, "Dolphin," created an exceptionally persistent storm system that traveled nearly 6,000 km before making landfall over the weekend, flooding the country's eastern coast and bringing with it an extensive cloud field.
Typhoon "Dolphin" weakened but caused hundreds of flights to be canceled in China10.08.26, 08:59
Hubei, a major center for automobile manufacturing and high-tech electronics, home to more than 58 million people, was hit by two rare tornadoes last month after Typhoon "Maysak," killing at least 11 people.
On Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center renewed its orange warning for heavy rains, the second-highest warning level in terms of potential danger, and up to 250 mm of rainfall is expected in northwestern Hubei province over 24 hours.
Hubei authorities issued a yellow warning for cities including Xiangyang, Huanggang, and Suizhou, citing an increased risk of floods and landslides.
Scenic areas across the province announced temporary closures, including the popular "Three Gorges" Dam tourist area in Yichang. Of the 107 major highway and waterway construction projects underway in the province, 26 projects considered to be high-risk were suspended.
The peripheral air flow of "Dolphin" will be forced to rise when it encounters the mountains in western Hubei, resulting in rainfall intensifying several times, Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of the Hubei Provincial Meteorological Observatory, told the local Hubei Daily newspaper.
In neighboring Henan province, authorities issued a red alert for flash floods as the storm continues to carry moisture northward.
The storm's impact will be felt as far as Beijing, located more than 1,000 km north of Hubei province. Four districts on the outskirts of China's capital activated Level I emergency flood-response measures as the city prepared for more than a third of its annual rainfall to begin falling over 24 hours from late Tuesday evening.
Japan is also preparing for landslides, floods, and strong winds after the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that Typhoon No. 15, Chan-hom, could pass through mainland Japan later on Tuesday.