Full Breakdown
Typhoon Dolphin’s Inland Surge Triggers Flooding Across Central China and Beijing
8/11/2026, 8:17:33 PM
Core Event
On August 11 2026 Typhoon Dolphin moved inland to Hubei, extending its rain-laden cloud field to Beijing, more than 1,000 km away. The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) renewed an orange alert—the second-highest warning level—for heavy rain as the system approached.
Background & Context
Dolphin formed from a tropical depression on July 26 2026, traveled nearly 6,000 km across the Pacific and intensified to a very strong typhoon by July 28. After landfall near Yuhuan in Zhejiang on August 10, it retained a large circulation, allowing torrential rain far inland. The event follows recent severe weather, including tornadoes in Hubei after Typhoon Maysak and Typhoon Noul in Guangdong.
Data & Statistics
- Evacuations: Over 1 million people moved to safety across eastern China, including 30,300 in Shanghai and 900,000 in Wenzhou.
- Flight disruptions: Shanghai’s Pudong and Hongqiao airports cancelled roughly 1,400 flights.
- Rainfall forecasts: NMC warned of up to 250 mm in north-western Hubei within 24 hours; Beijing’s service projected more than 150 mm, with some districts possibly exceeding 200 mm.
- Reservoir levels: Water levels at 35 reservoirs in Xiangyang surpassed flood-control thresholds.
Impact on Hubei Province
Streets in Xiangyang turned into shallow rivers, forcing pedestrians to wade and electric scooters to stall. Authorities issued yellow warnings for landslides in Xiangyang, Huanggang and Suizhou, and temporarily closed the Three Gorges Dam tourist area in Yichang. The peripheral airflow of Dolphin was expected to rise over the province’s western mountains, intensifying rainfall, according to Wang Xiaoling, deputy director of Hubei’s provincial meteorological observatory.
Impact on Beijing
Beijing prepared for rainfall equivalent to more than one-third of its annual total. The city’s meteorological service warned of cumulative totals exceeding 100 mm in six hours and 150 mm in 24 hours, with districts such as Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou and Fengtai possibly seeing over 200 mm. Four suburban districts activated the highest-level emergency flood response, and Mentougou issued a level-4 geological disaster alert, urging residents to stay indoors and avoid mountainous areas.
Official Statements & Responses
- Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the NMC, told CCTV that Dolphin would track westward, slow over central China, and gradually lose strength, a pattern that could prolong heavy rain and raise flood and landslide risks.
- Beijing’s flood-control authorities ordered personnel to man water-logging hotspots from noon on August 11 and pre-positioned drainage equipment and flood barriers.
- The Ministry of Water Resources warned that the Qiantang, Yong, Jiao and Shuiyang rivers could experience major flooding, while smaller rivers might exceed warning levels.
On-the-Ground Reports
Sixty-year-old Huang, who delayed a grocery trip, described water-covered streets and feared floodwaters could reach her apartment. In Shanghai, 39-year-old Hou Lina recounted waking to “streets severely flooded” and noted the rain was “almost all night.” Workers in neon safety gear were deployed in Xiangyang to clear concrete barriers and improve drainage on flooded highways.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Rainfall projections vary: the NMC’s orange alert cites up to 250 mm for Hubei, while some local forecasts for Henan mention 350 mm, and Beijing’s service predicts a range from 100 mm to over 200 mm in different districts. Evacuation figures for Shanghai differ between 30,300 and 215,600 people, reflecting updates as the storm progressed. No casualty figures have been confirmed, though state media note a missing nine-year-old boy in Zhejiang.
