A wild rainstorm hit Beijing's suburban district of Miyun on Saturday night, forcing the evacuation of over 3,000 residents. The meteorological observatory in Miyun upgraded its alert to red at 9:06 p.m.—the highest level in the four-tier weather warning system—highlighting the sudden severity of the event. 🌧️
Between 12 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday, Miyun recorded an average rainfall of 73.5 millimeters, with the heaviest burst reaching 315.3 millimeters at Huangtuliang Station. In response, local authorities activated a Level-I flood control emergency. As a result, 12 major roads were closed (with 7 now reopened) and rescue operations safely relocated 3,065 residents from 149 villages by early Sunday. Fortunately, there have been no reported fatalities, and efforts continue to monitor the situation.
Citywide, 88 bus routes have been adjusted with service suspensions, shortened journeys, or detours. Additionally, train operations on three rail lines and water transport services in Miyun, Huairou, and Yanqing have been temporarily halted, with all tourist boats and ferries instructed to remain docked.
Looking ahead, most areas in Beijing are expected to see precipitation rates exceeding 30 millimeters per hour between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Chief meteorologist Zhang Linna warned that districts like Yanqing, Huairou, Miyun, and Pinggu might experience hourly totals above 50 millimeters, with total rainfall in some spots possibly exceeding 100 millimeters. This raises concerns about secondary disasters such as flash floods, mudslides, and landslides, especially in mountainous and low-lying regions. Stay safe and keep your eyes on local updates! ☔
Reference(s):
Rainstorm forces evacuation of over 3,000 in suburban Beijing
cgtn.com
