- By Ajeet Kumar
- Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:49 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
China flood mews: Thirty people have died and over 80,000 others were relocated in the latest round of heavy rainstorms in Beijing, the city's municipal flood control headquarters said on Tuesday. The deaths took place in Beijing's northern mountainous districts, with 28 in Miyun and two in Yanqing. A total of 80,332 people have been relocated across the city, and the maximum rainfall was registered in Miyun, reaching 543.4 mm, according to local authorities. As per local media reports, a year's worth of rain fell in a matter of days, stretching the Chinese capital's disaster management capabilities and prompting some experts to call the city a rain trap.
The rainstorms damaged 31 road sections and disrupted the power supply in 136 villages. In recent days, extreme and severe convective weather, brought by warm, moist air from the edge of the subtropical high, has occurred in Miyun and other areas of Beijing, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
(A man sits in a plastic boat to move to safety after heavy rainfall flooded the region, in Huairou district of Beijing. CREDIT: REUTERS)
Flood control headquarters activates highest level of response
As of Monday night, Beijing's municipal flood control headquarters activated the highest level of its citywide flood control emergency response mechanism. Authorities in Beijing have warned the public to stay away from fast-flowing rivers. Heavy rain started over the weekend and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with the capital getting rainfall of up to 543.4mm in its northern districts.
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On Monday, heavy rains and flooding killed four people, with eight others still missing. "The cumulative amount of precipitation has been extremely high - reaching 80–90 per cent of the annual total in just a few days in some areas," news agency Reuters reported, citing Xuebin Zhang of the University of Victoria in Canada and CEO of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC). "Very few systems are designed to handle such an intense volume of rainfall over such a short period," Zhang said.
Xi Jinping orders to activate emergency response
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for all-out search and rescue of the missing and trapped and immediate relocation of those in danger in order to minimize casualties. He also urged authorities to plan for worst-case and extreme scenarios, clarify responsibilities, implement flood control measures meticulously, closely monitor and reinforce vulnerable and critical areas, and allocate rescuers and supplies based on scientific assessment. "Emergency response must be activated and carried out at the earliest possible moment to fully protect people's lives and property," he said.
Premier Li Qiang urged national flood control authorities to help local governments strengthen their response.
China's climate change
China's usually arid north has seen record precipitation in recent years, with some scientists linking the rainfall to global warming. In the summer of 2023, heavy rain and flooding killed at least 33 people in Beijing. Rainfall in the city of Xingtai in neighbouring Hebei province exceeded 1,000 mm in two days - double the yearly average.
(With inputs from agencies)