Powerful winds sweeping through northern China have led to significant disruptions, with authorities urging residents of Beijing to remain indoors and signaling the strongest conditions since 1951.
Severe Winds Disrupt Life in Northern China: Residents Urged to Stay Indoors
Severe Winds Disrupt Life in Northern China: Residents Urged to Stay Indoors
Beijing encounters its strongest winds in decades as city authorities evacuate thousands and suspend transportation services.
Beijing, home to 22 million residents, faced chaotic conditions on Saturday as strong winds wreaked havoc across the city and beyond. Forecasts indicated that residents could experience the most intense winds recorded in April since 1951, prompting local officials to advise people to stay indoors for safety. The severe weather originated from a polar vortex in Mongolia and was expected to reach wind speeds of 83 to 92 miles per hour.
The storm first began impacting the area on Friday, causing the uprooting of more than 400 trees and leading to the evacuation of nearly 7,000 individuals by Saturday morning, as reported by Chinese state media. In addition, fierce dust storms engulfed parts of northern China, including Beijing, creating an eerie atmosphere throughout the region.
Reports from residents illustrated the intensity of the winds, with one postgraduate student, Yang Bobo, describing the sounds as "wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves." The ferocity of the wind even dislodged a glass door at her school, resulting in it shattering on the ground. The situation led to authorities delaying various events, including soccer matches, and transportation officials had to suspend train and bus services, while the main international airport in Beijing warned of potential flight disruptions.
China Southern Airlines announced on Friday that it had to cancel around 340 flights due to the extreme weather, and a marathon event planned for Sunday was likewise postponed. Following a series of unseasonably warm days, temperatures in the city dropped dramatically to a mere 57 degrees Fahrenheit as the cold winds swept through.
Similar wind warnings were also issued in South Korea and Japan, where meteorologists linked the weather disturbances to the same potent system affecting northern China, underscoring the widespread impact of this atmospheric anomaly.
