Torrential rains have killed at least 30 people in Beijing and caused widespread damage in the Chinese capital’s mountainous northern region.
Beijing has received almost a year’s rainfall in a matter of days, prompting authorities to evacuate about 80,000 people from their homes.
The unrelenting monsoon rains have damaged roads and communication infrastructure and cut off power to 136 villages as of Monday midnight.
Deaths have so far been reported from Beijing’s mountainous northern districts, with 28 in Miyun and two in Yanqing.
Heavy rain started last Wednesday and intensified around Beijing and surrounding provinces on Monday, with the city getting up to 543.4mm rainfall in its northern districts, Xinhua news agency reported.
The average annual rainfall in Beijing is around 600mm.
The most intense rain occurred on Saturday in the capital hilly Huairou area, which saw 95.3mm of rainfall in one hour.
The Beijing Meteorological Service has issued a yellow rainstorm alert for the Chinese capital city on Tuesday, down from the highest level of red on Monday.
The downpour is forecast to continue until Tuesday night with hourly precipitation in some areas exceeding 50mm, Global Times reported.
The weather department has asked the public to take precautions due to a heightened risk of secondary disasters such as flash floods, mudslides, and landslides in mountainous and hilly areas.
The rains have seen over 730 million cubic meters of water flow into the Miyun reservoir, the largest in China’s north, as of Tuesday morning, with 120 million cubic meters discharged since Sunday afternoon.
Authorities in Beijing are urging residents to keep clear of downstream rivers as water levels are expected to remain high.
The government has allocated 200m yuan (£21m) for post-disaster recovery efforts, state media said. The funds will mainly be used to repair damaged transportation, water, medical and other infrastructure and public service facilities in Miyun and Huairou.
Footage shared by state media showed helicopters carrying aid supplies taking off from the Miyun Mujiayu airport on Monday.
Chinese president Xi Jinping said there had been “heavy casualties and property losses” in Beijing and the provinces of Hebei, Jilin and Shandong, and ordered “all-out” search and rescue efforts.
“No effort should be spared to search for and rescue those missing or trapped, to transfer and resettle residents in affected areas, and to reduce casualties to the greatest extent possible,” Mr Xi said.
Premier Li Qiang also said heavy rain and flooding in Beijing’s Miyun district had caused “significant casualties”, Xinhua reported.
Northern China has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in recent years, exposing densely populated cities, including Beijing, to flood risks. Some climate scientists link the higher rainfall in China’s usually arid north to global warming.
Last week, two people died and 10 went missing after half a year’s worth of rain fell in just five hours in the eastern province of Shandong.
Extreme weather has caused over 307 deaths or disappearances across the country in the first half of 2025 and resulted in economic losses exceeding $7.6bn, Reuters reported.
Beijing recorded its heaviest rainfall in 140 years in 2023 when the brunt of the destruction unfolded in neighbouring Hebei province.
