Beijing receives the ‘heaviest rainfall in 140 years’ since record-keeping began

China is currently experiencing severe weather conditions, with the capital city Beijing facing heavy rains and flooding. The Beijing Meteorological Service reported that the city received the heaviest rainfall in 140 years since record-keeping began, with the maximum value recorded at the Wangjiayuan Reservoir in Changping being 744.8 millimeters.

The torrential rains have caused significant damage and loss of life, with at least 20 people confirmed dead and 27 others reported missing. Rescue efforts have been hampered by the difficult weather conditions. More than 52,000 people have been evacuated from Beijing due to the heavy rains, which have been worsened by the impact of Typhoon Doksuri, one of the strongest typhoons to hit the mainland in years.

The situation is particularly dire in the Fangshan district, where power has been knocked out in approximately 60,000 homes. Rivers in the country have reached record levels, leading the authorities to use a flood storage reservoir in Beijing for the first time in over 25 years since it was built.

To aid those affected, a military unit comprising 26 soldiers and four helicopters has been mobilized to deliver food packages and ponchos to people stranded in Beijing’s Mentougou district, which has been severely impacted by the floods.

President Xi Jinping has taken note of the crisis and has ordered local governments to do everything possible to rescue those trapped and minimize further loss of life and property damage.

China has a history of dealing with devastating floods, with the deadliest and most destructive floods occurring in 1998, resulting in over 4,000 fatalities, particularly along the Yangtze River. In 2021, around 300 people died during floods in the central province of Henan, which also saw record rainfall inundating the provincial capital of Zhengzhou, leading to extensive flooding of streets and even a subway line.

Adding to the challenges, Chinese forecasters have warned of the approach of another storm named ‘Khanun,’ which is expected to rapidly gain strength and potentially strike the densely populated coast of China in the coming week. While Typhoon Doksuri has been downgraded, Khanun has been upgraded to a typhoon from tropical storm status, further increasing concerns about the weather situation in the country.