Beijing is bracing for an intense spell of rainfall as Typhoon Dolphin moves deeper into China, with forecasters warning that the capital could receive more than one-third of its average annual rainfall within just 24 hours.

From Tuesday evening through Thursday, much of Beijing is expected to experience heavy downpours, with cumulative rainfall exceeding 150 millimeters in 24 hours in some areas. Beijing receives an average of about 528 millimeters of rain annually, most of it between June and September.

Four districts on the outskirts of the capital have activated Level 1 emergency flood responses, while authorities in the mountainous Mentougou district issued the highest flood emergency alert. Residents have been urged to remain indoors unless necessary and avoid mountainous areas, rivers and other locations vulnerable to flash floods and landslides.

Dolphin, described as the strongest typhoon to hit China so far this year, has weakened after making landfall but has retained a vast circulation capable of transporting enormous amounts of moisture far inland. The storm traveled nearly 6,000 kilometers before reaching China, bringing torrential rainfall across large parts of the country's eastern and central regions.

More than one million people were evacuated across eastern China over the weekend as authorities prepared for flooding and landslides. Wenzhou in Zhejiang province relocated more than 900,000 residents and opened over 1,500 emergency shelters, while nearly 100,000 people were moved to safety in neighboring Fujian. Shanghai also evacuated more than 215,000 people from vulnerable areas.

The storm has disrupted transportation and daily life, with hundreds of flights canceled or grounded in eastern China as heavy rain inundated roads and urban areas.

Dolphin moved over Hubei province on Tuesday, bringing particularly dangerous conditions to the central Chinese region, which is home to more than 58 million people and is an important center for automobile and high-tech electronics manufacturing.

China's National Meteorological Center renewed an orange alert for heavy rainfall, the country's second-highest warning level. Northwestern Hubei could receive as much as 250 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, raising the threat of flash floods and landslides.

Tourist attractions across Hubei have been temporarily closed, including the popular Three Gorges Dam area in Yichang. Authorities have also suspended 26 high-risk construction projects out of 107 major highway and waterway projects operating in the province.

Neighboring Henan has issued a red flash-flood warning, as Dolphin continues to channel large quantities of moisture toward northern China.

Meanwhile, Japan is preparing for flooding, landslides and strong winds as Typhoon Chan-hom approaches the Japanese mainland. The storm was expected to move across Japan on Tuesday, prompting authorities to warn residents in vulnerable areas to remain alert.

Chinese authorities have allocated additional emergency disaster-relief funding as Dolphin affects a vast area of the country. With heavy rainfall forecast to continue across several provinces, officials are maintaining evacuation measures and emergency responses while monitoring rivers, reservoirs and landslide-prone mountainous areas.

The combination of saturated ground, mountainous terrain and continued moisture transport has raised concerns that flash floods and landslides could become the greatest immediate risks, particularly in western and central parts of China. (ILKHA)