Heavy rain continued to pummel the mainland on Thursday, disrupting hundreds of flights and train services and leaving tens of thousands of travellers stranded.
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The National Meteorological Centre forecast torrential rain for yesterday and today across more than 10 provinces and cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Sichuan and Hubei provinces.
Passengers line up to reschedule travel and refund tickets at Wuhan Railway Station in central China’s Hubei province on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
The centre issued a yellow alert for heavy rain – the second-lowest in its four-tier system – for large parts of the country. Beijing and parts of Shandong, Chongqing and Hubei would have up to 140mm of precipitation across 24 hours, it said.
Swathes of southern and central areas have been struggling with floods throughout the past week, with 56 reported dead and another 22 missing.
At Beijing Capital International Airport, 601 flights were cancelled, accounting for about half of its air traffic, according to CCTV.
A park near the Forbidden City in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: AFP
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Meteorologists warned of fresh floods and landslides, The Beijing News reported. Authorities have closed 100 tourist spots and moved out more than 3,400 people. Schools were advised to send pupils home early, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
