Thousands moved as heavy rains hit Beijing and nearby

5 days ago

Thousands moved as heavy rains hit Beijing and nearby
Two residents of Hebei province were dead and two missing in the wake of the deluge. Photo: CCTV via Reuters
Heavy rain intensified around Beijing and nearby provinces in northern China on Monday, exacerbating the risks of disasters such as landslides and flooding, authorities said, as they relocated more than 4,400 people.
Colossal rain continued to pound the northwestern suburban area of Miyun in Beijing causing flash floods and landslides and affecting many villages, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Images circulated on China's Wechat app showed areas of Miyun where cars and trucks were floating on a flooded road and water levels had risen so high that it had submerged part of a residential building.
Northern China has seen record precipitation in recent years, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing, to flood risks.
Xiwanzi Village in Shicheng Town, near Miyun Reservoir, was severely affected, CCTV said on Monday with an additional 100 villagers transferred to a primary school for shelter.
It comes after the maximum flood peak flow into the Miyun reservoir reached a record high of 6,550 cubic meters per second, Beijing authorities said on Sunday.
In neighbouring Shanxi province, videos from state media showed roads inundated by strong gushing currents and submerged vegetation including crops and trees.
In Beijing's Pinggu District, two high-risk road sections have been sealed, authorities said.
Authorities are carrying out search and rescue work across cities including Datong, where a driver in a Ford car has lost contact while driving in the floods, the People's Daily reported.
China's Water Resources Ministry has issued targeted flood warnings to 11 provinces and regions, including Beijing and neighbouring Hebei, for floods from small and midsize rivers and mountain torrents.
Two were dead and two missing in Hebei province, CCTV said on Sunday morning. Overnight rain dumped a record 145 millimetres per hour on Fuping in the industrial city of Baoding.
China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Monday that it was urgently arranging 50 million yuan to support Hebei.
The funds would be used to repair damaged roads and bridges, water conservancy embankments, schools and hospitals in the disaster area. The NDRC said it was "promoting the restoration of normal life and production as soon as possible." (Reuters)

Hashtags

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Chongqing residents seek shelter as heatwave hits

RTHK

9 hours ago

RTHK

Chongqing residents seek shelter as heatwave hits

Chongqing residents seek shelter as heatwave hits People soak in the Jialing River to escape the scorching heat. Photo: Reuters Temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius have broiled the southwest city of Chongqing, pushing some locals to use innovative ways to cope with the increasingly hot weather. "It's getting hotter and hotter," said Liu Fengying, 60, a local resident. As afternoon temperatures soared on Thursday, Liu avoided the heat by playing card games and sharing snacks with friends among around 100 retirees sheltering in the air-conditioned chill of a subway entrance. Xie, 79, one of dozens of swimmers who gathered at a tributary of the Yangtze River as the sun started to set on Thursday, cools down with regular swims in China's longest river. And on the same night, Qiu Xianhui, 36, came with friends to eat hotpot at a restaurant in one of the city's old bomb shelters, where the air cools naturally. Record heat across China has strained its power grid as demand surges to new all-time highs, now in excess of 1.5 billion kilowatts, with records broken four times just in July. After daily peaks exceeding 40 degrees Celsius for a week, Chongqing elevated its heatwave warning to the highest level – a red alert – on Thursday, with 21 out of its 38 districts forecast to hit up to 43 degrees Celsius. A peak of 44 degrees Celsius is projected for Sunday. Historically, daily peaks in the city of nearly 32 million people have rarely exceeded 39 degrees Celsius in July, which is already very hot by global standards. (Reuters)