Shanghai Hit by Heaviest Rainfall in 150 Years as Typhoon Dolphin Batters Eastern China

Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, battered eastern China, prompting multiple areas to issue red rainstorm warnings. Shanghai’s 24-hour rainfall broke a 154-year observation record. Screenshots from social media; composite by The Epoch TimesShanghai has been hit by its heaviest 24-hour rainfall in more than 150 years, as Typhoon Dolphin battered eastern China with torrential rain, flooding parts of the city, disrupting transportation and prompting authorities to issue their highest-level rainstorm warnings.Shanghai’s weather station recorded 316.1 millimeters (12.4 inches) of rain in the 24 hours through 8 a.m. on Aug. 10, according to Chinese state media Beijing Daily. The rainfall broke the station’s previous record for the highest daily total since it began operating in 1873, ending a 154-year record.The downpour caused severe urban flooding across Shanghai, with roads in some areas turning into waterways. Images and videos circulating on Chinese social media showed floodwaters surrounding the city’s landmark Wukang Building.Shanghai’s central meteorological authorities issued a red rainstorm warning on the morning of Aug. 9, the first such warning for the central urban area in 13 years. By 5 p.m. on Aug. 9, authorities had relocated 215,600 people from areas considered at risk, according to the city government.Chinese officials have not reported any casualties.Thousands of Flights Canceled The storm also severely disrupted air travel in Shanghai.The city’s two major airports canceled 1,384 inbound and outbound flights on Aug. 9, and another 943 flights were canceled on Aug. 10, according to Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency.The cancellations left travelers stranded or forced them to make repeated changes to their itineraries.Several individuals spoke to The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.A woman who had planned to fly from Shanghai to Urumqi at 7:50 p.m. on Aug. 10 told the publication that she never made it to the airport due to the floodwaters.“Our residential compound was flooded on all sides, so I couldn’t get out,” she said. “[The airline] notified me that the flight was canceled, so I refunded the ticket.”Another woman, who was returning to Lanzhou after traveling from Singapore and had planned to transfer through Shanghai on Aug. 9, told The Epoch Times that her journey was repeatedly disrupted.“My flight was originally scheduled for the ninth, but I was notified only half an hour before takeoff that it had been canceled,” she said. “They said they couldn’t notify us earlier because of the weather delays, and everyone affected by the delays was provided with accommodation.”Impact Beyond ShanghaiThe storm’s impact extended beyond Shanghai to the neighboring Zhejiang Province.From Aug. 9 to Aug. 10, the highest rainfall recorded at a national weather station was 425 millimeters (16.7 inches) in Wenling, Zhejiang Province, followed by 367.8 millimeters (14.4 inches) in Sanmen, Zhejiang, according to China Weather Network.As Typhoon Dolphin continued to affect eastern China on Aug. 10, the chief forecaster at China’s National Meteorological Center, Zhang Fanghua, said rainfall would remain heavy from the night of Aug. 10 through Aug. 12 in northern Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, southern Hebei and southern Beijing, according to Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency.Xia Song and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.