[Quick News] Shanghai Braces for More Downpours as Typhoon Dolphin's Remnants Linger

Thought the rain was finally over? Not quite.

Although Typhoon Dolphin has been downgraded and is no longer an active tropical cyclone, its lingering circulation is still bringing rounds of heavy rain to Shanghai and much of the Yangtze River Delta.

Showers intensified again today, with the heaviest rainfall reported around the Qingpu-Songjiang-Jinshan border. Fengjing Town in Jinshan recorded more than 21 millimeters of rain in a short period, while thunderstorms continued moving across the city's western and northern districts.

Shanghai remains under yellow alerts for both heavy rain and thunderstorms, and forecasters say localized downpours are still likely through Saturday, especially during the afternoon and evening.

So why is it still raining if the typhoon is "gone"?

Meteorologists say a typhoon being removed from the official list doesn't mean its weather impacts disappear overnight. Dolphin's leftover circulation has stalled over eastern China, where it is colliding with moist southwest air and a weak cold air mass, creating the perfect recipe for persistent rain.

"The remnant vortex is still supplying moisture and energy to the region," Deputy Director of Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory Sun Min was quoted as saying by local media The Paper. "The heaviest rainfall will mainly affect central and western parts of Shanghai."

The good news? Conditions are expected to gradually improve from Sunday as the weather system moves offshore. Rainfall should ease, with temperatures next week staying relatively comfortable by Shanghai standards, topping out around 33 degrees Celsius instead of returning immediately to extreme summer heat.

The recent rainfall has also raised concerns about flooding, particularly in Shanghai's low-lying western districts such as Qingpu, Songjiang and Jinshan, where drainage has been slowed by high water levels upstream and tidal conditions downstream.

City authorities have been working around the clock to lower river levels, operating large pumping stations and creating additional storage capacity in drainage systems before the storm arrived. Water levels along Suzhou Creek have already fallen by about 1.5 meters compared with earlier this week.

Meanwhile, neighboring Zhejiang Province continues to face more severe impacts. As of Friday evening, nearly 200 weather alerts remained in effect, including multiple red alerts for torrential rain. Eight towns in Hangzhou's Yuhang District activated "Five Stops" emergency measures, suspending outdoor activities, classes, work, business operations and public transport.

Forecasters are also keeping an eye on the rest of August. Weather experts say more typhoons could develop over the western Pacific later this month, meaning eastern China may not be done with stormy weather just yet.