Beijing braces for one-third of its annual rainfall over next 24 hours
Residents wade through floodwaters at a flooded residential compound amid heavy rainfall brought by Typhoon Dolphin, in Shanghai, China on Monday (Aug 10).
PHOTO: Reuters
BEIJING — The densely populated Chinese capital of Beijing braced for the expected onset of more than one-third of its annual rainfall over 24 hours starting late on Tuesday (Aug 11) as moisture from Typhoon Dolphin to the south converged with cool air over northern China.
From Tuesday evening through Thursday, most areas in Beijing will experience heavy downpours with a cumulative rainfall of over 10cm in six hours and more than 15cm in 24 hours, according to the city's meteorological service.
The cumulative rainfall in districts including Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou, and Fengtai may exceed 20cm in 24 hours.
That compares with Beijing's average annual rainfall of 52.8cm, the bulk of which is concentrated in the months between June and September.
In the mountainous district of Mentougou in western Beijing, authorities issued the highest level of flood emergency alert on Tuesday and advised people to stay indoors unless necessary, and avoid travelling to mountainous areas and rivers.
[[nid:742341]]