Photo/Illutration Paramilitary police officers evacuate residents stranded by floodwaters in Xincuo town of Fuqing city, after Typhoon Doksuri made landfall and brought heavy rainfall in Fuzhou, Fujian province, China July 29, 2023. (cnsphoto via REUTERS)

BEIJING--Tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes in Beijing as the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri dumped record rainfall on the city and grounded flights on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Doksuri is one of the strongest storms to hit China in years and caused widespread flooding over the weekend in the southern province of Fujian, driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Heavy rain continued to soak the capital as well as Hebei, Tianjin and eastern Shanxi as Doksuri dissipated over northern China, the China Meteorological Administration said.

Throughout June and July, cumulative precipitation in the city hit 306.8 mm (one foot), 21% higher than the average for those months when summer storms roll in, media reported. The rainfall was 10% higher than the same period last year.

Average rainfall in Beijing overnight reached 140.7 mm (5.5 inches), with the maximum recorded rainfall in Fangshan area hitting 500.4 mm (19.7 inches), according to the city’s observatory.

The observatory kept a red alert - the highest warning - for heavy rainfall in place while Beijing Hydrology Station upgraded its flood warning with more rain and river flooding forecast.

More than 31,000 people were evacuated from their homes, work at more than 4,000 construction sites was halted, almost 20,000 buildings were inspected for damage, and scenic spots in the city were closed, media reported.

Both airports in the capital cancelled more than 180 flights on Monday morning, with hundreds more delayed, according to flight tracking app Flight Master.

Railway authorities dispatched workers to send food including instant noodles, eggs and ham, and drinking water to train passengers who were stuck overnight.

There was no reported damage or casualties, state media said, but south of Beijing, Doksuri’s impact was more pronounced.

In northern Hebei province, a driver was missing after two trucks fell off a collapsed bridge in Baoding city on Sunday, while a section of a railway bridge for freight in Shijiazhuang city was washed away in a swollen river, media reported.

While Doksuri continues to taper off, forecasters warned that typhoon Khanun was approaching and was set to strike China’s densely populated coast this week.

Authorities said Khanun could inflict further damage to corn and other crops that have already been hit by Doksuri.

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