Tens of thousands of people have been evacuate from high-risk areas in Beijing. And another northern city of China after a series of torrential rains.
According to the news agency AFP, a severe storm called ‘Doxuri’ has been moving northward over China since Friday. This typhoon has previously devastated the Philippines.
The Chinese capital, Beijing, and the surrounding area became one over the weekend.
Chinese authorities have warned of potentially dangerous conditions, saying the areas are at risk of flooding, river flooding, and landslides.
More than 27,000 people have been evacuate from high-risk areas in Beijing. And another 20,000 have been evacuate from parts of Xiejiazhuang, the capital of neighbouring Hebei province, Chinese state media said.
Hundreds of thousands of people in northern China, including Beijing, are expect to face heavy rains until Monday afternoon and are under red alert.
The alert covers 22 million residents of Beijing and 14 million residents of Tianjin, as well as parts of Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong, and Henan provinces.
According to local media, this is the first time since 2011 that such a heavy rainfall warning has been issue.
Chinese authorities have been cautious about heavy rains since the worst floods in 2021.
Two years ago, more than 300 people were killed in central China, especially in the city of Zhengzhou.
Residents in Beijing were urged on Sunday not to venture out unnecessarily. Companies were also asked not to force their employees to come to work unless necessary.
Many popular attractions in the capital have been temporarily closed, including the Forbidden City, libraries, and museums.
The sprawling National Centre for the Performing Arts, located near Tiananmen Square, has cancelled opera and musical performances scheduled for Sunday.
Ordered to close all the school
The city authorities have ordered the closure of all the school buildings. These buildings were being used by some students and teachers for training or extracurricular activities during summer vacations.
The Ministry of Water Resources issued a flood warning on Sunday as the level of some rivers rose.
According to a local newspaper, a river running through a mountain village on the outskirts of Beijing. Caused severe flooding, but there were no casualties as 62 households in the surrounding area were evacuated yesterday.
Typhoon ‘Doxori’ was initially classified as a super typhoon.
It intensified in the Pacific Ocean earlier this week but weakened as it neared the Philippines. Where more than a dozen people were killed.
Typhoon ‘Doxuri’ brought strong waves and winds of 175 km/h to southeast China on Friday, causing extensive damage.
More than 880,000 people have been affected by the typhoon in Fujian province, state media said on Sunday.
The storm has hit China after record summer temperatures. Scientists say that the weather is getting worse due to climate change.
