Beijing renews yellow alert for rainstorms

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) — The Beijing Meteorological Observatory renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms on Tuesday, warning of heavy rainfall and secondary disasters in the city.
There has already been heavy rainfall in Beijing since Tuesday morning. Due to the impact of new rain clouds, the rainfall will intensify again from the afternoon to Tuesday night. Most parts of Beijing will see cumulative rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters, with some areas in Huairou, Miyun and Pinggu districts reaching over 250 millimeters.
Secondary disasters such as flash floods, mudslides and landslides may occur in mountainous and hilly areas, while low-lying areas may experience waterlogging. Citizens have been requested to take precautions.
Data showed that the average rainfall in Beijing was 77 millimeters from midnight to 5 p.m. Tuesday, with the highest level of 269.5 millimeters recorded in Dongshaoqu of Miyun.
In response to the upcoming rainfall, the municipal emergency management bureau advised citizens to keep updated with weather warnings, reduce travel, and use public transportation if needed. The public should avoid disaster-prone areas, high-voltage lines, river channels, low-lying areas and outdoor activities.
Also on Tuesday, the Beijing Hydrological Station issued a blue flood alert for a section of the North Canal basin, marking the first flood alert of the year. The authorities anticipated a flood with an expected flow rate of 700 cubic meters per second.
The rainfall also prompted the Beijing Water Authority and the Beijing meteorological observatory to jointly issue an orange alert for flash floods, the second-highest level in the four-tier warning system.
According to the authorities, there is a high likelihood of flash floods occurring in the Miyun and Pinggu districts from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Moreover, the latest round of rainfall has led to urban waterlogging in many areas of the Chinese capital. Beijing Drainage Group activated a level-II response, addressing 11 instances of road closures due to waterlogging.
To manage the situation, the group activated 77 pumping stations, collectively draining and storing 333,000 cubic meters of rainwater.
China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. ■