Heavy rains and deadly storm Doksuri have wreaked havoc in northern China, prompting authorities to issue a red alert for affected regions, including Beijing and its surroundings. Since Friday, the storm has been sweeping northwards, leading to authorities urging millions of people to stay home for their safety.
The capital city, Beijing, has been severely impacted, with hundreds of bus services suspended, and subway stations inundated. The suburban Dashihe River prompted the city government to issue the highest flood warning. Terrifying footage from residents in various districts displayed cars submerged in fast-flowing brown water, roads collapsing under rising water, and vehicles being swept away by muddy torrents. Social media users shared videos of thoroughfares turning into rapids and water swamping large intersections near high-rise apartment blocks. Rainwater also seeped onto a subway platform in western Beijing's university district. Responding to official recommendations to work from home, central Beijing streets were relatively quiet, with delivery drivers being the few braving through waterlogged bike lanes.
The situation in China has become extreme due to a series of extreme weather conditions and record-breaking temperatures this summer, exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Beijing and neighboring Hebei province have renewed red alerts for rainstorms as the downpour continues. Experts are concerned that the ongoing heavy rain may cause even worse flooding than the devastating events of July 2012, which resulted in 79 fatalities and tens of thousands of evacuations. The Beijing Meteorological Bureau reported an average of 170.9 millimeters of rain inundating Beijing in a mere 40 hours between Saturday night and Monday noon, nearly equivalent to the average rainfall for the entire month of July. As the situation remains critical, authorities are actively monitoring the situation and urging residents to exercise extreme caution and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety amid the relentless storms.
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