BEIJING: Beijing faced an onslaught of heavy rainfall as Typhoon Doksuri’s remnants swept through China’s capital on Monday.
According to the state broadcaster CCTV, over 31,000 residents were compelled to evacuate their homes to seek safety.
As Doksuri dissipated over northern China, the China Meteorological Administration reported that the capital, along with Hebei, Tianjin, and eastern Shanxi, continued to be pummeled by torrential rains. The impact of this typhoon has been felt far and wide, making it one of the most potent storms to hit China in recent years.
Over the weekend, the southern province of Fujian experienced widespread flooding due to Doksuri, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people from their residences.
In Beijing, the average overnight rainfall reached a staggering 140.7 mm (5.5 inches). Particularly, the Fangshan area bore the brunt with a record-breaking 500.4 mm (19.7 inches) of rainfall, as stated by the city’s observatory. Forecasts indicated the possibility of even heavier rains in the southern and western regions during the early hours of Monday.
Despite the severity of the weather, state media reported that there were no casualties or damage as a result of Typhoon Doksuri’s passing through Beijing.
The city’s routine activities faced disruptions as over 4,000 construction sites had to halt work, and authorities inspected nearly 20,000 buildings for any signs of damage. Additionally, several popular tourist destinations were closed temporarily to ensure the safety of visitors.
While the remnants of Doksuri continued to taper off, meteorologists issued warnings about the approach of Typhoon Khanun. The new typhoon was anticipated to make landfall on China’s densely populated coast later in the week.
As authorities kept a close eye on Khanun’s path, there were concerns that the already affected regions could face further damage to crops, including corn and others, which had already been adversely impacted by Doksuri’s heavy rainfall.
In response to the series of typhoons and extreme weather conditions, the Chinese government and disaster response teams were on high alert, ready to provide assistance and support to the affected communities.
