Beijing Braces for Heavy Rainfall as Death Toll from Last Week's Floods Reaches 44

Beijing is facing heavy rainfall for the second time in a week, with the city's meteorological service issuing a red rainstorm warning. The rain threatens flash flooding, especially in mountainous areas, and authorities have urged residents to stay indoors and schools have suspended classes. Other areas in China's north and the southern coast are also experiencing heavy rainfall.

Beijing is bracing for another round of heavy rainfall, just one week after devastating floods claimed at least 44 lives. The city's meteorological service has elevated its rainstorm warning to the highest level, red, indicating a severe threat of flash flooding, particularly in mountainous areas [1].

The warning comes as authorities rush to reinforce flood defenses, update evacuation plans, and fine-tune weather forecasts [1]. Up to 200mm (7.9 inches) of rain could hit parts of Beijing over a six-hour period from midday, weather forecasters warned [2]. The city of 22 million people receives an average of 600mm of rainfall each year [2].

The heaviest precipitation is expected to start at 6 p.m. and extend through dawn on Tuesday morning, according to the China Meteorological Administration [2]. A collision of low pressure up in the atmosphere with another region of high pressure is triggering the heavy rain [2].

Authorities have urged residents not to venture outside unless necessary and have suspended in-person classes in schools [2]. The risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high," authorities said [1].

The latest round of heavy rainfall is expected to affect other areas in China's north, including Hebei and Tianjin, and the southern Chinese coast, which is affected by the southwest monsoon [2].

The recent flooding has highlighted the need for better contingency plans for extreme weather events in Beijing. In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the city's deadliest flooding in living memory [1]. Fangshan district was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 meters in just 10 minutes [1].

In southern Guangdong province over the weekend, the bodies of five people were recovered after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1,300 rescuers [1]. The five people, who went missing on Friday night, were "swept away by water" following heavy rainfall in recent days [1].

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/beijing-expands-storm-alert-fatal-floods-keep-city-edge-2025-08-04/
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-04/beijing-faces-more-torrential-rainfall-days-after-deadly-floods