Former Typhoon Dolphin continues to influence a major flood-producing weather pattern across China, despite having lost its tropical cyclone status.
The remnant circulation has transported a deep reservoir of tropical moisture northward, where it is interacting with cooler air and the mid-latitude westerlies.
That interaction has transformed Dolphin from primarily a wind and coastal threat into a widespread inland rainfall event.
In Beijing, Shifo Temple in Yanqing recorded 175.6 mm (6.91 inches) between midday August 11 and early August 12.
Flood teams moved into action across eastern and central China as heavy rain from Typhoon Dolphin pushed inland, with crews inspecting riverbanks, opening sluice gates and preparing emergency defences.
— Bizna Kenya (@biznakenya) August 12, 2026
Footage from Tuesday in Zhoukou, Henan Province, shows water management teams… pic.twitter.com/JE7UwXz7Ki
Changping recorded an extraordinary 90.7 mm (3.57 inches) in only one hour.
The downpours flooded roads and disrupted transport across the capital, with around 250 bus routes suspended and approximately 150 tourist attractions closed.
When the tropical moisture meets the westerlies
Dolphin’s remnants remain meteorologically important because tropical cyclones carry enormous quantities of atmospheric moisture.
Once a cyclone moves inland, its organized wind circulation usually weakens rapidly because it loses access to warm ocean water.
Its moisture does not disappear. Instead, that humid air can become incorporated into larger weather systems.
In the current episode, Dolphin’s remnant circulation is interacting with cooler air and an upper-level trough over China.
That creates broad atmospheric ascent, while convergence around the remnant vortex provides an additional mechanism for generating heavy rain.
The result has been repeated bands of intense precipitation across several provinces.
Farther south, over 200mm were recorded
Parts of Henan and Hubei recorded rainfall exceeding 200 mm (7.87 inches), breaking August daily rainfall records at some locations.
Those totals are particularly dangerous when concentrated into short periods because runoff can rise faster than drainage systems and rivers can accommodate.
The threat is not restricted to major cities.
Mountainous terrain surrounding parts of Beijing and across other affected provinces can amplify rainfall when moisture-rich air is forced upward.
Las inundaciones en Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Hebei, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi y Anhui por el tifón Dolfhin , con más de 100 embalses descargando y sobre un millón de personas evacuadas.pic.twitter.com/aJdFG6Q9hv
— Alertageo (@alertarojanot) August 12, 2026
Steep terrain also increases the risk of flash floods, landslides and debris flows.
Chinese meteorological guidance indicates that the remnant vortex could linger while interacting with the westerlies, allowing the rainfall episode to continue even though Dolphin itself is no longer classified as a tropical cyclone.
Dolphin has entered another phase
Meteo.Events has followed Dolphin through several distinct stages of its journey across East Asia. Our earlier coverage examined how Typhoon Dolphin grew into a vast storm system around 1,700 km wide as it approached Japan and eastern China, before the storm later made landfall in Zhejiang, disrupting flights and triggering extensive preparations along China’s east coast.
The latest phase is meteorologically different.
The greatest danger is no longer the cyclone’s maximum sustained wind. Instead, it is the enormous amount of moisture left behind and the atmospheric environment into which that moisture is being transported.
That can make former tropical cyclones surprisingly dangerous far inland.
Flooding remains the primary concern across Beijing, Henan, Hebei, Hubei and surrounding areas as the remnant circulation gradually becomes absorbed into the larger-scale weather pattern.
