Warnings Lifted for Largest Rainfall in 140 Years

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The yellow alert for rainstorms, thunder and lightning has been lifted by Beijing’s meteorological observatory, stating this is the largest rainfall the city has seen in the 140 years since instrumental measurement of rainstorms began, reports Beijing Daily. Currently, people are still being displaced by the rains and floods, and 11 people having died due to flooding.

From 8pm on Jul 29 to 5am on Aug 2, average rainfall in the city, according to the Beijing Daily article, was 244.9mm in central Beijing, 461.4mm in the southwest, 272mm in the northwest, and 226.9mm in the northeast. Two stations recorded an accumulated rainfall of over 700mm, with Changping Wangjiayuan Reservoir and Mentougou Alpine Rose Garden recording 744.8mm and 730.5mm, respectively.

China Daily also reports over 44,600 people in 13 districts were affected by the continuous rainfall, with around 127,000 people having been relocated due to flooding. The city is currently preparing shelter, food, and supplies for those relocated due to the weather. More people have been evacuated due to the discharge of reservoirs, with a video from WeChat account Beijing Changping (北京昌平) saying over 3,500 have been evacuated from Shahe town in Changping due to the discharge of a reservoir there.

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Despite the warnings being lifted, there are still scattered thunderstorms expected throughout the day and for the rest of this week. Temperatures are expected to go back up from 32-33°C from today until Aug 5. Red alerts for flooding in northern Beijing have been lifted, with the water flow of the Yongding River Basin, North Canal Basin, and Dashihe Basin having fallen below flood warning limits.

Tianjin and parts of Hebei province have also been affected by the rainfall, China Daily says. Tianjin upgraded its flood emergency response to the highest level on Tuesday, with more than 35,000 people having been relocated from areas prone to flooding in the city.

Rainfall in Hebei has damaged bridges and prompted evacuation efforts, with an orange alert in effect for rainstorms on Tuesday. A total of 847,400 people have been relocated in the province thus far.

The previous highest recorded rainfall in Beijing since records began in 1883 occurred on Jul 23, 1891, when rainfall of around 609mm was recorded.

Images: Unsplash

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