The Chinese weather agency issued a red alert for torrential rain in the capital city of Beijing, on Saturday (July 29) this comes as parts of northern China were flooded due to typhoon Doksuri, one of the strongest storms to hit the country in years. The storm has also prompted thousands to evacuate in Beijing after pummelling the Philippines and Taiwan as well as China’s coast.
Alert in Beijing and surrounding provinces
According to China’s national forecaster, a broad area that also includes the capital city of Beijing and surrounding provinces may witness a medium to high risk of rainstorm disasters in the next three days, while thunderstorms in the capital were forecast to peak on Saturday.
This is after Doksuri pummelled into southern Fujian province, on Friday morning, while its “influence” is now being felt in the country’s north, said China’s meteorological service, on Saturday.
“Doksuri’s intensity continues to weaken but the impact is far from over,” said the China Meteorological Administration. The warning asks the people to be vigilant and avoid high-risk areas in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Over the weekend, the levels of rivers in southern Beijing, central and western areas of Hebei, eastern Shanxi and northern Henan, could also swell, said officials. Additionally, flash floods and geological hazards could occur around mountainous areas.
The red alert will go into effect from 8:00 pm (local time) and covers provinces that are home to several hundred million inhabitants including the Chinese city of Tianjin and provinces of Hebei and Shandong.
A report by AFP citing experts said that Saturday’s downpour could lead to worse flooding than the one in 2012 which led to the death of nearly 80 people and prompted the evacuations of tens of thousands.
Thousands evacuated in Beijing
The warnings have also prompted authorities in the Chinese capital to close several tourist spots and parks as well as suspend sporting events, reported Reuters. The report citing Beijing’s flood control department said that some 203,230 rescue personnel have been deployed and over 3,000 people have been evacuated.
The heavy showers were reported in Beijing on Saturday afternoon and are expected to last through Tuesday, as per officials.
Typhoon Doksuri pummels Chinese provinces
The storm comes as China has been facing multiple extreme weather events and recently recorded the highest temperature the country has witnessed at 52.2 degrees Celsius. Doksuri is the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year and the second-strongest to hit the southeastern province of Fujian since 2016.
The typhoon made landfall in Fujian on Friday after it tore through the Pacific earlier this week and lost some intensity as it neared the Philippines. The storm has affected as many as 880,000 people in coastal Fujian with more than 354,400 people evacuated and resettled, reported Reuters.
Fuzhou, along with neighbouring cities Putian and Xianyou, reported the heaviest daily precipitation since 1961. Images and videos show downed power lines, flooded streets, uprooted trees in coastal Fujian. Social media posts showed emergency workers clearing fallen trees and landslides, and people wading in thigh-high flood waters after Doksuri’s landfall, according to Reuters.
(With inputs from agencies)
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