Beijing: Heavy rain intensified around Beijing and nearby provinces on Monday, resulting in four fatalities due to a landslide in northern Hebei, with eight people reported missing. Authorities have issued warnings of worsening conditions and an increased risk of disasters in the coming days.
According to Bahrain News Agency, over 4,400 residents were relocated as relentless rain battered the suburban area of Miyun in Beijing, leading to flash floods and landslides that affected many villages, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV. Images circulated on China's WeChat app depicted the situation in Miyun, where vehicles were seen floating on inundated roads with water levels submerging parts of residential buildings.
Additionally, power outages have impacted over 10,000 individuals in the region, CCTV reported. The recent heavy rainfall contributes to a trend of record precipitation in northern China, putting densely populated areas, including Beijing, at risk of flooding. Some scientists associate the increased rainfall in typically arid northern China with global warming.
China's Central Meteorological Observatory forecasted continued heavy rainfall over the next three days, prompting Beijing to issue its highest level flood alert on Monday, as per the official Xinhua news agency. The storms form part of a larger pattern of extreme weather across China, attributed to the East Asian monsoon, causing economic disruptions.
Xiwanzi Village in Shicheng Town, near the Miyun Reservoir, was reported to be severely affected, with an additional 100 villagers relocated to a primary school for shelter, CCTV stated on Monday. This follows a record high maximum flood peak flow into the Miyun reservoir, reaching 6550 cubic meters per second, according to Beijing authorities on Sunday.