China issues red rain alerts as Typhoon Dolphin approaches

The Chinese government activated maximum‑level red weather alerts in several central and southern provinces after extreme rainstorms caused rivers to swell, prompting preventive evacuations of about 400,000 residents in Shaanxi and Sichuan. Schools were suspended and more than 50 rivers were placed under emergency monitoring.

In Beijing, heavy‑rain warnings were issued across six districts, with hourly precipitation exceeding 50 mm and a peak of 99.5 mm recorded in Miyun. Authorities deployed over 2,000 staff to manage flooding, mudslides and landslides, and warned of potential damage to infrastructure.

At the same time, China prepared for the imminent landfall of Typhoon Dolphin. Coastal provinces Zhejiang and Fujian raised emergency response levels to orange, suspended ferry routes, halted construction projects and ordered fishing vessels to return to port. The storm is expected to bring torrential rain to the eastern coast from Sunday to Monday, with wind speeds projected to reach 180 km/h and the possibility of intensifying into a super‑typhoon.