China Fierce storms hit Beijing
Storms and heavy gusts of wind have brought daily life in the Chinese capital and metropolis of Beijing to a virtual standstill. Famous sights such as the Forbidden City, through which thousands of tourists usually flock at the weekend, remained closed. Planned events also had to be canceled due to the weather conditions.
12.04.2025, 12:48
SDA
The capital's airport had canceled more than 400 of the 1,200 expected flights by Saturday morning (local time). However, almost 270 flights were able to take off, as the state-run newspaper "China Daily" reported.
Numerous trees were also reportedly blown down. Cars were damaged by falling branches or debris from houses. There were significantly fewer cars and pedestrians on the streets than usual.
Rarely a high warning level
Storms, which often come from the desert and steppe region in the northwest, are not unusual at this time of year for a city with a population of around 20 million. According to media reports, however, Beijing issued the second-highest wind warning level for the first time in around ten years. On Friday, the authorities recommended avoiding outdoor activities at the weekend.
Other areas of northern China, such as the province of Hebei surrounding Beijing, inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Henan, as well as parts of eastern China, were also affected by strong storms. China's weather authority expected gusts of wind with peak wind speeds of up to almost 150 kilometers per hour until Sunday morning (local time). Meteorologists also warned of sandstorms that could also reach the coastal metropolis of Shanghai.
