Catastrophic flooding from typhoon remnants strikes Chinese capital

Severe rainfall has led to extensive damage in Beijing, China's capital. Within just 24 hours, the city experienced nearly as much rain as it typically receives throughout an entire year.

On Monday, the remnants of typhoon Doksuri passed over Beijing, resulting in massive amounts of rainfall and causing large-scale flooding. In certain areas of the city, streams and rivers turned into torrents, overflowing onto nearby roads and sweeping away cars.

Initial reports indicate several casualties due to the floods, but the exact number is yet to be confirmed. State television reported that over 31,000 people had been evacuated from particularly vulnerable parts of the Chinese capital.

Approximately 5 inches (140 mm) of rain fell within 24 hours, on average, across the entire metropolitan area. However, according to a nearby weather station, a southwestern district experienced as much as 20 inches (500 mm) of rainfall. Nonetheless, there are unconfirmed reports suggesting that the weather station may have malfunctioned, potentially resulting in even larger amounts of rainfall.

Typhoon Doksuri struck the northernmost island of Luzon in the Philippines almost a week ago, causing severe devastation and resulting in 13 fatalities, with 21 people still missing. The tropical cyclone then proceeded towards China, making landfall in Fujian province last Friday with wind gusts reaching up to 118 mph (190 kph). It stands as one of the most severe storms experienced by the People's Republic of China in recent years.