Beijing records heaviest rainfall in 140 years

The amount of rain that fell in Beijing from 8 p.m. on July 29 to 7 a.m. on August 2 was the highest recorded since the city began keeping records 140 years ago.

"The highest rainfall during this storm was 744.8 mm, which occurred at Wangjiayuan Reservoir in Changping District," the Beijing Meteorological Administration said on its WeChat account on August 2, emphasizing that "this is the highest level in 140 years."

Typhoon Doksuri swept across northern China after making landfall in Fujian province last week, starting to bring rain to the capital Beijing and surrounding areas on July 29. The amount of rain that fell in Beijing in 40 hours was nearly equal to the average rainfall in the entire month of July.

Beijing records heaviest rainfall in 140 years — Severe flooding in Mentougou District, Beijing on July 31. Video: *Global Times*

Floods in Beijing have killed at least 11 people, two of them rescue workers who died while on duty. Thirteen people are still missing.

In neighboring Hebei province, more than 800,000 people were evacuated, nine people were killed and six were missing. Two deaths were reported in northeastern China's Liaoning province over the weekend.

China has stepped up rescue efforts in the flooded city of Zhuozhou in Hebei province, which is home to more than 600,000 people and borders Beijing to the southwest. Hebei authorities have declared a state of emergency, as an average of 355 mm of rainfall since July 29 was the heaviest since July 2012.

Located at the confluence of several rivers, Zhuozhou was one of the worst-hit cities in Hebei as floodwaters moved downstream, inundating residential areas twice the size of the French capital and affecting nearly 650 hectares of farmland.

Zhuozhou police said the city was facing a shortage of clean water and partial power outages and was in urgent need of boats, rafts, life jackets and supplies for rescue operations. Residents said water levels rose as high as 4 metres, forcing them to take shelter in high-rise buildings, but there was no electricity or water.

As of August 1, Zhuozhou was still surrounded by floodwaters on three sides. The Global Times reported that large amounts of water were flowing from Beijing into three rivers surrounding Zhuozhou.

"We are receiving floodwaters from Beijing, so they should provide equipment and rescue for us, but there is nothing," one Zhuozhou resident posted on Weibo, while another worried about the safety of elderly family members and begged rescuers to help move immobile elderly people to the roof while they wait for evacuation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on August 2 called for "all-out efforts" to rescue those "missing or trapped" by floods, find ways to limit casualties and return living conditions to normal as soon as possible.

China has experienced extreme weather conditions and record temperatures this summer. Scientists say the extreme weather patterns in China are being exacerbated by climate change. China is bracing for Khanun, its sixth typhoon of the year, as it approaches the country's east coast.