Typhoon Dolphin's Remnants Drench Beijing, Disrupt Transport

Beijing was hit by intense rainfall on Wednesday as the remnants of Typhoon Dolphin, China's strongest storm this year, swept through the country. The capital issued its second-highest rainstorm alert, leading to the suspension of 250 bus routes and the closure of 150 tourist attractions. Ten subway lines also operated at reduced speeds as authorities worked to manage the deluge.

Video footage on the social media platform Rednote showed a multi-lane roadway in Beijing transformed into a river, with cars and buses partially submerged and traffic at a standstill. The northern district of Changping recorded the highest hourly rainfall, receiving 90.7 mm (3.6 inches) within a single hour after 9 a.m.

The typhoon made landfall on Sunday in the eastern province of Zhejiang after traveling 6,000 km (3,700 miles). While the storm has weakened, its remnants are drawing tropical moisture deep inland, raising the risk of further floods. In the coastal city of Yuhuan, verified social media footage showed scores of cars crowded onto a bridge that remained above floodwaters after nearly 200 mm (8 inches) of rain submerged nearby streets.

State media reported that rainfall records were shattered in parts of Zhejiang and the central provinces of Henan and Hubei this week. The city of Wugang, home to one of China's largest steel companies, received 209.5 mm (8.2 inches) of rain, breaking the August single-day record. Xiangyang recorded 169.1 mm (6.6 inches).

Residents in northern and central regions are bracing for more rain as the storm's vast rain bands continue to move through. The extreme weather underscores the growing challenge posed by climate change, which scientists link to more frequent and intense typhoons. Chinese meteorologists are increasingly turning to a new generation of artificial intelligence weather models to strengthen forecasting and improve resilience against extreme events that cause billions of dollars in economic losses annually.