Typhoon Dolphin hits Zhejiang, Shanghai with record rainfall

Typhoon Dolphin made two landfalls along the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday, unleashing record-breaking torrential rains that surpassed daily records at five national observation stations across Zhejiang and neighboring Shanghai.

The impact of the typhoon has resulted in strong winds and heavy rainfall across Zhejiang, Shanghai, and surrounding areas. In Taizhou City, Zhejiang, cumulative rainfall has exceeded 700 mm since Saturday.

Meteorological satellite monitoring showed that from Sunday to Monday, rainstorms and severe rainstorms, including extraordinary downpours in certain regions, impacted Zhejiang, Shanghai, southern Anhui, and southern Jiangsu. Wind gusts ranging from Force 9 to 12 were recorded in central and eastern Zhejiang and northeastern Fujian, with gusts in Yuhuan City, Zhejiang, exceeding Force 17.

As Typhoon Dolphin continues to move inland on Monday, it is expected to bring heavy precipitation to multiple provincial-level regions over the next three days.

Torrential rain is projected in Zhejiang, Shanghai, northern Fujian, northern Jiangxi, and central and southern Beijing, Tianjin, and Shandong, with severe convective weather, such as thunderstorms and gales, likely in some areas. Cumulative rainfall in these regions is expected to range from 200 to 400 mm, with areas in western and northern Henan and southern Hebei potentially exceeding 700 mm.

Starting on Thursday, the remnants of the typhoon are expected to move northward and interact with cold air, bringing significant rainfall to Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Liaoning.

Meteorological experts warned that the typhoon could raise the risk of flooding and other disasters in some areas, calling for strengthened defenses against geological disasters and flooding in small and medium-sized rivers.

Beijing's flood control authorities said that the city plans to activate a Level II flood response on Tuesday morning. Hebei, Tianjin and Henan have also issued heavy rain warnings and stepped up safety checks at mountain and water-related tourist attractions, with high-risk areas to be closed if necessary.

China leads the world in direct utilization of geothermal energy, with its geothermal heating and cooling area reaching 1.65 billion square meters, according to the China Geological Survey (CGS) on Sunday.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), the country will focus on three geothermal regions -- north China, northeast China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as four geothermal belts including the southeastern coastal area, to identify target zones for exploration and development, the CGS said.

Geothermal energy is a stable, low-carbon renewable resource with substantial reserves and high efficiency. China has long maintained the world's leading position in the scale of direct geothermal energy utilization.