Doksuri, the storm that swept through the Pacific and continued causing havoc in parts of China, has been downgraded from a typhoon on Sunday (July 30). This decision came after the Chinese weather agency issued a red alert for torrential rain in Beijing the day before.
In response to the potential flood risks, tens of thousands of people were evacuated from vulnerable areas, and Beijing residents were advised to stay indoors. The Chinese state media reported that more than 27,000 people in high-risk areas of Beijing and over 20,500 people in Hebei’s capital, Shijiazhuang, were relocated.
As a result of the warnings, the usually bustling streets of Beijing were nearly deserted, and several tourist spots, including the Forbidden City, libraries, museums, and parks, were closed. Sporting events were also suspended.
The Ministry of Water Resources emphasized the need to closely monitor the weather, update rainfall and water level forecasts, and enhance information dissemination through social media platforms like WeChat. While the emergency warnings for floods were lifted to the second-highest level for Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei province, the ministry warned about potential flooding in several rivers in the region.
Adding to the concerns, another storm named ‘Khanun’ was predicted to gain strength and strike China’s densely populated coast the following week. Hong Kong Airlines even cancelled two flights from Okinawa due to Khanun. The upcoming typhoon could further damage crops, including corn, already impacted by Doksuri, as reported by the Chinese agriculture ministry.
China has been experiencing multiple extreme weather events, including the country’s record-high temperature of 52.2 degrees Celsius. Doksuri was the most potent typhoon to hit China in 2023 and the second-strongest to strike Fujian province since 2016, affecting around 880,000 people, with more than 354,400 people evacuated and resettled.
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