China’s Capital Beijing Battered By Heaviest Rainfall In 140 years

[NBC] China’s capital Beijing has been pummeled by the heaviest rainfall in 140 years, leaving at least 20 dead.

According to the Chinese authorities, the city recorded 744.8mm (29.3 inches) of rainfall between Saturday to Wednesday — marking the highest since 1891, based on data from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau.

China has been buffeted by heavy storms as Typhoon Doksuri swept north after slamming southern Chinese provinces.

Doksuri made landfall in China’s Xiamen and Quanzhou on Monday morning, and caused “severe flooding in Beijing,” according to a report by the NASA Earth Observatory. The massive storm damaged infrastructure, forcing tens of thousands to flee for safety.

The typhoon was one of the worst storms to hit northern China in years, and the torrential rain in Beijing has killed at least 20 people as of Tuesday.

In Beijing, more than 31,000 people were evacuated from their homes, while work at construction sites halted.

Apart from Beijing, extreme rainfalls also hit north China and the regions along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for rigorous search and rescue efforts, as well as flood control and disaster relief work.

“It is crucial to ensure medical treatment for the injured and provide aid and comfort to the families of the deceased,” Xi was quoted as saying.

Beijing on Wednesday lifted the red alert for flood as “the water flow in major rivers has gone below the warning mark,” according to Xinhua.