Beijing downpour breaks 140 year record

Beijing, the capital of China, has experienced its heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years, according to the Beijing Meteorological Bureau. The city recorded 744.8 millimeters (29.3 inches) of rain from Saturday, July 29, to Wednesday, August 2, 2023, breaking the previous record set in July 1883. The unprecedented downpour was caused by the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri, which hit the southeast coast of China last week and brought strong winds and heavy rains to several provinces.

The torrential rain triggered severe flooding in Beijing and its surrounding areas, resulting in at least 20 deaths and dozens of missing people. More than 127,000 people were evacuated from the city, and many roads, bridges and buildings were damaged or destroyed by the floodwaters. The worst-hit area was Fangshan district, where the maximum rainfall reached 500.4 millimeters (19.7 inches) on Monday night. Rescue workers used boats and helicopters to reach stranded residents and distribute relief supplies.

The flooding also affected the neighboring Hebei province, where more than 133,900 people were affected and nine people were killed. The city of Zhuozhou was especially hard-hit, with more than 125,000 people evacuated and hundreds trapped in a residential building. The local authorities deployed more than 10,000 personnel and 2,000 vehicles to carry out rescue and relief operations.

The extreme weather in Beijing came after a series of typhoons that battered China’s eastern and southern coasts in July and August. Typhoon Talim struck Zhejiang province on July 23, causing widespread damage and forcing more than 230,000 people to evacuate. Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in Guangdong province on July 27, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to several provinces. Typhoon Khanun is expected to approach Japan’s Okinawa islands on Wednesday, August 2, and may affect China’s eastern coast later this week.worldnewsstudio.com/beijing-downpour-breaks-140-year-record/