BEIJING, Aug 11 : Beijing stepped up its flood-control response on Tuesday as authorities issued red rainstorm alerts in several districts in the Chinese capital and warned of heavy downpours, with heightened risks of urban waterlogging and landslides.
The Beijing meteorological service issued an orange rainstorm alert, while several districts, including Fangshan, Daxing and Tongzhou, issued the highest-level red alerts, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The city activated a Level II flood-control emergency response, the second-highest level, as authorities forecast more than 150 mm of rain in Beijing through Thursday.
China uses a four-tier, colour-coded warning system for severe weather events like rainstorms, typhoons, and high temperatures, ranging from blue (least severe) to red (most severe). While orange (Level II) indicates severe, yellow (Level III) is for a relatively severe category.
Authorities said residents in high-risk areas would be evacuated by Tuesday evening. Construction work will be suspended, and mountain campsites and scenic areas will be closed.
From Wednesday, employers have been encouraged to adopt flexible working hours or staggered schedules.
Schools may suspend classes and in-person training depending on conditions, while organised outdoor sports activities will be halted, the report said.
Beijing's drainage authorities have put 252 flood-control teams on standby.
Preparations, including the installation of flood barriers, have also been stepped up at 368 subway stations, 33 hospital campuses and 17 elderly care facilities.
In Fangshan district, where exceptionally heavy rain has been forecast, authorities have begun evacuating residents from high-risk areas and have deployed emergency rescue teams and supplies. More than 150,000 items of emergency equipment and materials have been kept on standby.
The alert comes after Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, made two landfalls in Zhejiang province on Sunday.
China's National Meteorological Centre on Tuesday maintained an orange alert for rainstorms, forecasting heavy rain across a broad swath of China through Wednesday afternoon, including Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, Beijing and Tianjin.
In Fujian province, about 167,900 people had so far been evacuated from vulnerable areas on land and at sea.
By late Sunday, Shanghai had evacuated around 215,600 people from areas considered at risk, Xinhua reported. (PTI)
