China Faces Heavy Rain and Flooding as Typhoon Doksuri Hits
BEIJING, July 29 (Reuters) – Northern China experienced heavy rainfall on Saturday as Typhoon Doksuri, one of the strongest storms to hit the country in years, prompted thousands to evacuate in Beijing after causing significant damage in the Philippines and Taiwan.
China’s national forecaster warned that a broad area encompassing the capital faces a medium to high risk of rainstorm disasters over the next three days, with thunderstorms expected to peak on Saturday.
As Doksuri moves further inland, cumulative rainfall of 100 mm (4 inches) or more is forecast over 220,000 square km (85,000 square miles), potentially affecting 130 million people.
Although the intensity of Doksuri has weakened, the China Meteorological Administration has urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid high-risk areas in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, where localised rainfall could reach up to 600 mm (two feet).
The storm has already caused small and medium-sized rivers in southern Beijing, central and western areas of Hebei, eastern Shanxi, and northern Henan to swell above warning levels. Flash floods and geological hazards could also occur around mountainous areas.
In response to the storm, Beijing authorities have suspended sports events and closed several tourist spots and parks. The city’s flood control department has mobilized over 203,000 rescue personnel, and 3,031 people have been evacuated, according to local media.
Doksuri is the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year and the second-strongest to hit the southeastern province of Fujian since Typhoon Meranti in 2016. It has forced the closure of schools, businesses, and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields.
Since records began in 1951, only a dozen other typhoons have reached or passed through Beijing. The most impactful was in 1956 when one weather station recorded 249 mm (10 inches) of rain.
As Doksuri weakens and moves northwest, it has been downgraded to a tropical depression in Anhui province. However, its center is becoming harder to determine as its wind speeds continue to decrease.
Henan province and Shandong in the east are expected to experience heavy rainfall, with the forecaster warning of mountain torrents, geological disasters, and waterlogging.
Upon making landfall on Friday, Doksuri caused power outages, uprooted trees, and affected around 880,000 people in coastal Fujian. Over 354,400 people were evacuated and resettled, resulting in over 478 million yuan ($67 million) in direct economic losses, according to state media.
In the aftermath of the storm, social media posts showcased emergency workers clearing fallen trees and landslides. People were seen wading through thigh-high floodwaters.
Fujian province also reported other damage, including a billboard ripped off a hotel building, a large tree falling on a man who was later rescued, and a garment factory in Quanzhou catching fire.
Rescue efforts have been underway, with reports of elderly individuals trapped at home and a heavily pregnant woman being transferred to the hospital in knee-deep waters.
By later in the day, some cities were beginning to recover. Fuzhou, which suspended metro services due to waterlogged subway stations, resumed operations in the afternoon. The city, along with Putian and Xianyou, reported the heaviest daily precipitation since 1961.
Before hitting China, Doksuri also caused havoc in Taiwan and the northern Philippines, resulting in significant rain, strong winds, and the tragic capsize of a ferry that claimed at least 25 lives.
($1 = 7.1488 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Reporting by Liz Lee, Jenny Wang, and Ryan Woo; Editing by William Mallard and Lincoln Feast.