Yesterday’s report about “the biggest storm in six years” have led to exasperation when heavy rains failed to appear all day long. But make no mistake: the bad weather is coming.
A 2pm local weather report called for thundershowers tonight in Beijing’s north and west regions accompanied by category 2-3 winds with gusts up to category 6. Cumulative rainfall is forecast at 40-50 millimeters, while local rainfall is expected to be between 100-140 millimeters.
Yesterday’s yellow alert for rain is still in effect in Beijing, though the yellow alert for hail was called off last night.
After a day of waiting, severe weather has already impacted parts of Beijing. A downpour and strong wind have descended upon Haidian District, while hail has fallen on Fengtai District. This winds were so strong at a Beijing suburban hotel that a video shows a glass door being ripped off its hinges.
The storm has led to the cancellation of 366 flights at Beijing International Airport by 2pm as well as the closure of 89 tourist sites.
As a precaution, 7,000 Beijing residents have already been evacuated from high-risk areas while Category III emergency flood response measures have already been deployed.
Judging by the severe weather in neighboring cities, Beijing is in for a rough time when the storm fully arrives this evening.
Heavy rains have hit the south and center of Hebei, the south of Shanxi, the north of Hebei, and the west and north of Shandong, each receiving precipitation between 50 and 91 millimeters as well as category 8-9 winds and hail.
The severe weather has caused flooding in the Yellow River and Huai River regions, affecting 45,000 people.
The rain has flooded streets in Shijiazhuang, Hebei while hail fall and uprooted trees have been reported in Shanxi (shown above) and Baoding, Hebei (shown below) where cars were seen stranded in a flooded underpass.
Just recently, Tianjin issued a blue alert for flooding.
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Twitter: @Sinopath
Images: APD, Weibo (1), Headline News, iFeng