30 killed as rainstorms wreak havoc in Beijing

July 29, 2025

Beijing: At least 30 people have died due to heavy rainstorms in Beijing, according to reports from the state media on Tuesday.

Most of the fatalities occurred in Beijing’s northern mountainous districts, with 28 deaths in Miyun and two in Yanqing, as of Monday night, according to the Beijing municipal flood control headquarters. Approximately 80,332 residents have been relocated across the city, and Miyun recorded the highest rainfall at 543.4 mm.

The rainstorms caused significant damage, affecting 31 road sections and disrupting power supply in 136 villages. Severe weather driven by warm, moist air from the edge of the subtropical high has affected Miyun and other areas in Beijing recently.

In response to the situation, the Beijing flood control headquarters activated the highest level of its emergency flood-response mechanism at 8 p.m. on Monday. Authorities have warned residents to steer clear of rapidly flowing rivers, while several prominent cultural sites, including Beijing’s Palace Museum and the National Museum of China, were closed on Tuesday for safety reasons.

Both museums announced that all pre-booked tickets would be refunded or rescheduled. The China’s national weather observatory issued an orange alert—the second-highest warning level—for rainstorms across many parts of the country.

Heavy rainfall is expected to continue in numerous regions, including Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Taiwan, with some areas potentially receiving up to 300 mm of rain within 24 hours. The weather center advised local authorities to prepare for possible natural disasters such as flash floods and mudslides.

The meteorological center also extended a yellow alert for severe convective weather in multiple regions across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, warning of thunderstorms, gales, and hail in northeastern China, northern regions, and areas between the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers. China’s four-tier weather warning system uses red for the most urgent alerts, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.