Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes in Beijing as Typhoon Doksuri brought torrential rains across northern China for the fourth day, prompting Beijing to issue the highest level of flood alert.
Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in China’s Fujian Province on July 29 after bringing heavy rains and extreme winds to Taiwan. More than 31,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Beijing due to widespread flooding.
The Epoch Times could not independently verify these figures.
Over 200 flights were canceled on Monday afternoon, with close to 600 delayed, according to flight tracking app Flight Master.
Railway authorities dispatched workers to send food and water to train passengers who were stuck overnight.
Authorities have ordered the closure of guesthouses and forestry farms in the city and urged people to stay indoors. The situation is expected to improve on Wednesday when Beijing is forecasted to receive moderate rainfall, People’s Daily reported.The city government said the rainfall over the past few days had exceeded records from a severe storm 11 years ago. In July 2012, Beijing was hit by the strongest storm since the founding of modern China, with the city receiving 7.5 inches (190 mm) of rain in one day.
In Hebei, a local weather station recorded over 3 feet (1,003 mm) of rainfall from Saturday to Monday, which is more than the usual amount seen over half a year. The average annual precipitation in the county where the station is located is almost 2 feet (605 mm).