Nearly 60,000 residents of Beijing have been moved to safer locations as part of the Chinese capital's Level-II emergency response for flood control, which was activated after local weather authorities warned of heavy rainfall.
From Tuesday night to Wednesday night, some areas of the city could receive over 70 mm of rain within six hours or more than 100 mm within 24 hours, the Beijing meteorological observatory said.
The observatory issued a citywide, orange rainstorm alert at 16:00 Tuesday -- while red alerts have been issued for the suburban districts of Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou, Changping and Yanqing.
At 17:30 Tuesday, the city's water and meteorological authorities jointly issued orange warnings for flooding and landslides in mountainous areas of the city.
By 19:00 on Tuesday, Beijing had relocated 58,000 residents, closed all its 352 flash flood channels, and shut down 165 scenic areas, 4,682 homestay lodgings, 256 campsites, and 3,259 construction sites, according to the municipal emergency management bureau.
The bureau said it has fully tested satellite phones in mountainous areas, deployed communication drones in the suburban districts of Mentougou, Fangshan, Miyun, Huairou and Yanqing and pre-positioned large machinery such as excavators, loaders, forklifts and trucks near mountainous areas, and distributed life jackets to residents in high-risk areas. Nearly 200,000 people are on duty to help anyone adversely affected by the downpours.
Flood control authorities have urged the public to limit travel, stay away from rivers and mountainous areas, and avoid parking in low-lying zones or under bridges.
China has a four-tier color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. The national emergency response system also has four tiers, with Level I being the highest.
Residents evacuated as Beijing braces for heavy rain
Residents evacuated as Beijing braces for heavy rain
