Beijing braced for one-third of its annual rainfall over next 24 hours
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From Aug 11 evening to Aug 13, most areas in Beijing will experience heavy downpours.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING – The densely populated Chinese capital of Beijing braced itself for the expected onset of more than one-third of its annual rainfall over 24 hours starting late on Aug 11 as moisture from Typhoon Dolphin to the south converged with cool air over northern China.
From the evening of Aug 11 through Aug 13, most areas in Beijing will experience heavy downpours with a cumulative rainfall of over 100mm in six hours and more than 150mm in 24 hours, according to the city’s meteorological service.
The cumulative rainfall in districts, including Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou, and Fengtai, may exceed 200mm in 24 hours.
That compares with Beijing’s average annual rainfall of 528mm, the bulk of which is concentrated in the months between June and September.
In the mountainous district of Mentougou in western Beijing, the authorities issued the highest level of flood emergency alert on Aug 11 and advised people to stay indoors unless necessary, and avoid travelling to mountainous areas and rivers. REUTERS
