Beijing and northern China faced rare typhoon-like conditions over the weekend as fierce winds up to 150 kph (90 mph) swept through the region, causing widespread disruptions. These gales, brought on by a cold vortex from Mongolia, resulted in tree damage, power outages, and the closure of historic sites. The winds, which began on Friday, also triggered late snowfalls in Inner Mongolia and hail in southern China.
The Chinese capital issued its second-highest gale warning for the first time in a decade, urging 22 million residents to avoid unnecessary travel. This warning came as the winds threatened to break April records dating back to 1951. By 2 p.m. local time, 703 trees had been felled in Beijing, and 693 flights were cancelled at the city’s two airports.
While some locals reported that the weather wasn’t as severe as anticipated, it still caused significant disruptions. Many expressed concern for delivery workers who were out braving the hazardous conditions. “In weather like this, we can choose not to order delivery – it’s too hard for them,” one Weibo user commented.
Further compounding the chaos, sandstorms from Inner Mongolia to the Yangtze River region crippled road travel in eight provinces. Shanghai was expected to be impacted by these storms through Sunday morning. While strong winds and dust storms are typical in spring, experts attribute the increasing intensity of these weather events to climate change.
Source: Swifteradio.com.
