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China: Typhoon Doksuri floods Beijing, thousands evacuated

July 31, 2023

Authorities have issued the highest weather alert as Beijing is hit with the remnants of typhoon Doksuri. State media have reported 2 bodies were recovered by emergency crews from a waterway in the capital.

https://p.dw.com/p/4UZUW
Men in orange suits clear a blocked drain
Beijing has recorded its heaviest rainfall this year Image: picture alliance/NurPhoto/Costfoto

After wreaking havoc in the Philippines and Taiwan, the remnants of typhoon Doksuri passed through China's capital city on Monday, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

Beijing has recorded its heaviest rainfall for the year so far. Authorities warned of swelling rivers, floods, landslides and mudslides in the capital and surrounding regions.

Some 170.9 millimeters (6.73 inches) of rain inundated Beijing between Saturday night and noon Monday, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said. This is the amount of rainfall for the entire month of July, according to official records.

River water floods a tree-lined bank
The swollen Yongding river seen near Shougang park in Beijing Image: Andy Wong/AP/picture alliance

The torrential rainfall has forced authorities to issue the highest level of alert in northern China, covering millions of people. The alert includes 22 million people in Beijing and 14 million in Tianjin. According to local media, this is the first time such a heavy rainfall warning has been issued since 2011.

As a precaution, residents have been asked to stay indoors. Offices have been asked not to force their employees to come to the office while public spaces and recreational centers remain closed.

2 deaths reported in Beijing, thousands evacuated 

Chinese state media reported two bodies were pulled from a river in Beijing's western Mentougou district during an emergency patrol.

Hundreds of roads in the capital are also reported flooded in Beijing, with cars being swept away and subway stations filled with water.

Floodwaters on a city street
Flooded streets in downtown Beijing on MondayImage: picture alliance/CFOTO

Over 31,000 people were evacuated from their homes in high-risk areas in Beijing, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Another 20,000 people were relocated from the neighboring Hebei province's capital, Shijiazhuang, state media reported on Sunday evening.

The storm has been felt in China since Friday  , first hitting the southern Fujian province with heavy rainfall . China's meteorological agency warned that Doksuri's impact was far from over despite the reduced intensity. 

In 2021, heavy rainfall and severe flooding resulted in the death of 300 people in central China's Zhengzhou city.

As a precaution, residents have been asked to stay indoors. Offices have been asked not to force their employees to come to the office while public spaces and recreational centers remain closed.

Another typhoon named Khanun — the sixth one this year, according to Xinhua news —  is expected to reach China this week. Authorities said it could further damage crops that have been affected by Doksuri. 

Tropical storm Doksuri: Red alert for Beijing

mk/jsi,wmr (Reuters, AFP)