Beijing, the vibrant capital city of China, recently experienced an unprecedented event – a historic deluge that shattered all previous records for rainfall in many years. The city, known for its rich history and modern marvels, was brought to a standstill as torrential rains wreaked havoc across its landscapes.
Image credits: CNN
According to the Beijing Meteorological Service, the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri dropped 744.8 millimetres (29 inches) of rain on the Chinese capital between Saturday and Wednesday morning, making it the wettest two-day period since records began in 1883.
Record rainfall caused severe flooding in Beijing and neighbouring Hebei province, with water levels reaching dangerous levels. Roads were devastated, electrical lines were down, and even water pipes were damaged by the rain. It flooded the waterways that surround the capital, submerging some cars and hoisting others onto pedestrian-only bridges.
A deluge of rain that was nearly as heavy as the usual amount for July fell on Beijing in just 40 hours on Saturday.
According to a source on Wednesday morning, 175 to 220 millimetres (6 to 8 inches) of rain have fallen in various areas of Okinawa over the last 24 hours.
Okinawa Electric Power Company mentioned that the prefecture government issued an order for more than 600,000 inhabitants to leave their homes, and strong winds downed power lines, knocking off power to more than 200,000 residences on Wednesday morning.
A rescuer’s body was found on Wednesday, bringing the total of verified deaths from the heavy rains in the Beijing area to 21. Two of the victims were personnel that were killed on duty during rescue and relief operations, according to a media source, which reported on Tuesday that the rains had killed at least 11 people in Beijing.
A total of 14 people had been recovered safely, but there were still 13 persons missing.
The Fear of Typhoon Khanun-
Typhoon Khanun will hit Japan with wind and rain, causing the region to suffer its worst floods in 140 years.
Image credits: Yale Climate Connections
Businesses and schools in northern Taiwan were closed on Thursday, and dozens of flights were cancelled as the slowly moving Typhoon Khanun brushed by the island’s northeast amid flood and wind warnings.
Typhoon Khanun, rated as Taiwan’s second-strongest typhoon level, moved slowly and approached the country’s northeastern coast with winds as high as 198 kph (123 mph).
In the next 48 hours, it is anticipated that the centre of Khanun will stall in the East China Sea. It may then turn toward Japan’s northern Ryukyu Islands during the weekend, sparing China’s eastern shore, which has been soaked by Doksuri’s remnants, a direct strike.
While the slow-moving Khanun is gradually losing strength, its outer bands could potentially produce heavy rain and strong winds over eastern China’s Zhejiang province and along the coast near Shanghai in the coming days.
Following Doksuri, which caused devastating floods that swept away automobiles and wrecked a bridge in Beijing’s western suburbs, Khanun’s effects are felt.
Throughout its long history, Beijing has witnessed numerous weather events, but the recent deluge stands out as one of the most severe in decades. Historical records and meteorological data indicate that such intense rainfall has not been seen in the region for many years.
