China Battered by Heavy Rain: Death Toll Reaches 30

Beijing (The Uttam Hindu): Torrential rains in the Chinese capital Beijing have caused massive destruction. On Tuesday, state media reported that at least 30 people have lost their lives in this heavy rain.

According to Beijing's flood control headquarters, 28 deaths occurred in the mountainous areas of Miyun, while two deaths were reported in Yanqing. The Beijing Municipal Flood Control Headquarters said 80,332 people were relocated to safer places across the city. Miyun district recorded the highest rainfall of 543.4 mm, which is equal to Beijing's average annual rainfall. The heavy rain damaged 31 roadways and disrupted power supply to 136 villages.

Miyun and other areas of Beijing have seen very windy and stormy weather in recent days due to hot and humid air from a subtropical high pressure. At 8 p.m. on Monday, the Beijing city flood control headquarters launched the highest level of flood emergency for the whole city, according to Xinhua news agency. Officials have warned people to stay away from fast-flowing river areas. Beijing's Palace Museum and the National Museum of China were closed on Tuesday for safety reasons. All pre-booked tickets were announced to be refunded or rescheduled due to heavy rain and the possibility of flooding.

China's National Meteorological Center on Tuesday issued an orange alert for rain, the second most severe level in a four-level warning system. This warning is for many areas including Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Taiwan Island. Some areas are expected to receive up to 300 mm of rain in 24 hours. The weather center has advised the local administration to take emergency measures and prepare for natural disasters like floods, landslides. Along with this, storms, strong winds and hailstorms have also been warned in many parts of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday. Let us tell you that China has a four-level weather warning system.

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