XIANGYANG, China: Typhoon Dolphin churned deeper inland to the central Chinese province of Hubei on Tuesday (Aug 11), prompting the closure of tourist areas and suspension of construction projects, as forecasters warned of the danger of extreme rainfall in the province’s mountainous northwest.
The strongest typhoon to hit China this year, Dolphin packed an unusually resilient storm system that travelled nearly 6,000km before making landfall over the weekend, drenching the country’s eastern coast and bringing with it a sprawling cloud field.
Hubei, a major auto and high-tech electronics manufacturing hub and home to more than 58 million people, was struck by two rare tornadoes last month in the wake of Typhoon Maysak, which killed at least 11 people.
On Tuesday, the National Meteorological Center renewed an orange alert for heavy rain, the second-highest warning level, with northwestern Hubei expected to receive as much as 250mm of rain in a 24-hour period.
Hubei authorities have issued a yellow warning for cities including Xiangyang, Huanggang and Suizhou, citing a heightened risk of flooding and landslides.
Scenic areas across the province have announced temporary closures, including the popular Three Gorges Dam tourist area in Yichang. Of 107 major highway and waterway construction projects underway in the province, 26 projects deemed high-risk have been suspended.
