Although Typhoon Dolphin is not expected to score a direct hit on Guangdong, the weather system will cause heat stress across the province.
Typhoon Dolphin is set to turn up the heat across the Greater Bay Area
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Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou are heading into several hot days as Typhoon Dolphin’s outer circulation brings sinking air over Guangdong, even though the storm itself is tracking towards East China rather than the Pearl River Delta.
The forecasts
- Shenzhen: Temperatures are expected to reach 35°C on Friday, with highs of 36°C or above on Saturday and Sunday. Northern and central districts could run another 1-2°C hotter; a yellow heat alert is in force. Brief, localised thunderstorms remain possible.
- Hong Kong: The Observatory forecasts about 34°C in urban areas on Friday, a couple of degrees higher in the New Territories, and says some places will be extremely hot. Over the weekend, parts of the New Territories could reach 36°C or more.
- Guangzhou: The city is expected to turn increasingly hot and dry from midweek, with provincial forecasts putting highs at 34-36°C across much of Guangdong.
- Macao: The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau has forecast temperatures up to 35°C over the weekend, with temperatures potentially one or two degrees higher in some locations.
Typhoon Dolphin: the context
Typhoon Dolphin is not expected to make a direct hit on Guangdong. Its impact on the Pearl River Delta is indirect, with descending air on the typhoon’s northern and outer flank suppressing cloud formation and rainfall, allowing stronger sunshine and heat to build. That means heat stress will be the province’s main concern.
[See more: The ultimate Macao typhoon survival guide]
At the same time, the weather will not be uniformly dry. Hong Kong’s forecaster expects isolated showers and squally thunderstorms later on Friday, while an area of low pressure near Hainan is contributing to unsettled conditions around the Guangdong coast.
Where Typhoon Dolphin is headed
Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th named storm of the season, is forecast to pass through the Ryukyu Islands into the East China Sea today and move towards the Zhejiang–northern Fujian coast, potentially making landfall between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
