The most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year brings strong winds, torrential rain and flooding to the country’s east coast Typhoon Dolphin hits Beijing as city braces for one-third of annual rainfall over 24 hours Continue reading… The Guardian
Tag: Extreme weather
Typhoon Dolphin: Beijing braces for one-third of its annual rainfall as storm sweeps China
Beijing is expected to hit by more than one-third of its annual rainfall over a 24 hour period starting late Tuesday, as Typhoon Dolphin moves deeper inland prompting the closure of tourist areas and suspension of construction projects. From Tuesday evening through to Thursday, most areas in Beijing will experience heavy downpours with a cumulative rainfall of more than 150mm in 24 hours, the city’s meteorological service has forecast. That compares with Beijing’s average annual rainfall of 528mm, the bulk of which normally falls between June and September. Four districts…
Weather tracker: Europe breaks more heat records as temperatures soar
High pressure has dominated central and eastern Europe in early August, breaking temperature records across the region. Austria recorded a high of 41.2C (106.2F), while Slovakia reached 42.2C. Hungary hit a peak of 41.8C, surpassing a record set in 1905, while overnight temperatures remained above 28C in some areas, marking it as a tropical night. The extreme temperatures have been driven by a heat dome beneath the high-pressure system, which traps warm air close to the surface. The prolonged heat has dried out soil and vegetation, creating conditions conducive to…
Typhoon Dolphin: more than a million people evacuated in China as record rainfall dumped on Shanghai
More than a million people were moved to safety across eastern China by Sunday evening as powerful Typhoon Dolphin made landfall amid fears torrential rain would cause flooding and landslides. Wenzhou, a coastal city in Zhejiang province, said it relocated more than 900,000 people and opened more than 1,500 emergency shelters. In neighbouring Fujian, 98,900 people were moved from high-risk areas. In Shanghai, 215,600 people were moved from areas considered at risk by Sunday evening, substantially higher than an earlier figure of 30,300. A weather station in the city centre…
‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons
“It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” says Anar Gul, a construction worker who lives in the remote district of Dur Baba in eastern Afghanistan. The houses in his village are built from stone and mud, which makes them extremely vulnerable to heavy rains. After days of rain, Gul’s kitchen collapsed and his neighbour, Sayed Afsar Sadat, saw a large part of his house completely destroyed. “Rains like this are coming heavier and earlier each year,” says Sadat. “They are destroying…
Cars swept away and trees toppled as Typhoon Noul brings flooding to southern China – video
Typhoon Noul made landfall early on Sunday in southern China, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds across Guangdong province. Authorities said heavy to torrential rain would continue until Tuesday. The rapidly developing storm is the strongest to hit China so far in 2026, according to state media. It has forced the relocation of more than 715,000 people in Guangdong province, authorities said on Sunday. The Guardian
Typhoon Noul forces more than 715,000 from homes and cancels hundreds of flights in China and Hong Kong
Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday bringing winds and heavy rain to southern China, including Hong Kong, over the weekend. It prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in Guangdong province with the region on high alert and hundreds of flights cancelled. China’s national weather centre said Noul made landfall along the Huidong county coast in the city of Huizhou in southern Guangdong province at approximately 3:50 am Sunday. China’s official Xinhua news agency said Noul was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in China so far this…
Weather tracker: Unusually warm rivers affect French nuclear power plants
Above average temperatures combined with below average rainfall across much of western and central Europe during June and the first half of July have placed increasing pressure on rivers, ecosystems and energy infrastructure. Persistent high pressure brought prolonged sunshine, suppressed rainfall and enhanced evaporation, causing river levels to fall and water temperatures to increase. These unusually warm rivers are affecting electricity generation in France, as several nuclear power stations rely on river water for cooling. Under French environmental regulations, operators must limit the amount of heat discharged back into rivers,…
Venomous snakes escape breeding farms in southern China during flooding
Hundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country. State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents. A dramatic video shared by state media showing local people using dip nets to catch snakes and a cobra poking its head above a torrent of muddy water went viral. Local media reported…
Severe storms in China bring tornadoes and landslides that have killed 15 people
The death toll from devastating storms in parts of China rose to 15 on Tuesday, with hundreds more injured and tens of thousands evacuated, state media reported, as the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, urged “all out” efforts to rescue people affected by the weather. Thunderstorms and gale-force winds killed at least 11 people and injured 331 in the central province of Hubei, where “severe convective weather” hit cities, while tornadoes were reported elsewhere late Monday, state news agency Xinhua said. Xinhua also reported that 4,800 houses had been damaged and…