A person rides a scooter through a flooded street during heavy rainfall caused by remnants of Typhoon Dolphin in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, August 12, 2026. — Reuters
China’s most powerful typhoon this year struck the capital with intense rain, flooding key roads and leaving vehicles stranded. The storm also affected large parts of the country, setting new rainfall records in central and eastern regions.
As the world’s second-largest economy faces increasingly severe weather linked to climate change—exacerbated this year by a developing El Niño pattern that raises temperatures and triggers more frequent and intense typhoons—Beijing declared its second-highest rainstorm warning. Authorities suspended 250 bus routes, closed 150 tourist spots, and reduced speeds on 10 subway lines, according to the official Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday.
Videos shared on China’s Rednote showed a multi-lane road in Beijing transformed into a rushing river, with cars and buses partly submerged, bringing traffic to a halt. The city’s northern district of Changping experienced the highest hourly rainfall, receiving 90.7 mm (3.6 inches) within just one hour after 9 a.m.
Although the typhoon weakened this week after traveling over 6,000 km (3,700 miles) from landfall Sunday in Zhejiang Province, its remnants continue to draw tropical moisture deep inland, posing flood risks.
“The biggest problem is that it disrupts work and daily life,” said Zhao Junxia in Luohe, a city in central Henan Province. “Getting around and getting food has become very difficult.”
Footage verified by Reuters showed dozens of cars on a bridge that remained above the rising floodwaters in Yuhuan, a coastal city. The area had received nearly 200 mm (8 inches) of rain, submerging nearby streets.
State media reported that rainfall records had been broken in parts of Zhejiang and the central provinces of Henan and Hubei this week. For instance, Wugang, home to one of China’s largest steel companies, recorded 209.5 mm (8.2 inches) of rain in a single day, while Xiangyang saw 169.1 mm (6.6 inches).
More rain is expected across northern and central China as the remnants of the storm continue to produce extensive rainbands.
In Luohe, Zhao, known for short videos on Douyin (China’s TikTok), said she moved her car to higher ground before the storm to prevent flooding, recalling a similar incident years ago. “We parked about 2 km (1.2 miles) away because the water around our apartment can be quite severe,” she explained.
Chinese meteorologists are increasingly turning to advanced AI weather models to supplement traditional forecasts and improve resilience to extreme weather events. Each year, such heavy rainfall causes billions of dollars in economic damage, disrupting manufacturing and washing away crops.