In brief
Beijing is grappling with powerful winds, leading to over 800 flight cancellations and transportation suspensions, drawing safety warnings from officials as the storm continues through the weekend.
Hundreds of flights and train services have been grounded in Beijing and northern China due to an unprecedented windstorm affecting the region. As of local time 11:30 AM on Saturday (03:30 GMT), approximately 838 flights were scrapped at the city’s two major airports, as reported by Reuters. Wind speeds have reached gusts of 93 mph (150 kph), marking the strongest conditions experienced in over 50 years, and these gales are expected to persist throughout the weekend.Authorities have implemented emergency measures, closing parks and historic sites, while millions of residents were advised to remain indoors due to the severe conditions. Warnings issued by state media even suggested that individuals weighing under 50 kg could face the risk of being "easily blown away" amidst the gales. In the capital, train services—including the airport express subway and various high-speed rail lines—have also been halted.As preparedness measures, trees in vulnerable areas were reinforced or trimmed; nevertheless, nearly 300 trees have already succumbed to the winds, causing damage to vehicles but, fortunately, no injuries reported. Many residents opted to heed local advisories, resulting in near-empty streets. A local told reporters, “Everyone in Beijing was really nervous about it. Today there are hardly any people out on the streets. However, it wasn’t as severe as I had imagined.”Travelers have shared their frustrations as well; one businessman from Zhejiang province faced flight cancellations, “Because of the severe winds, all flights scheduled for last night and today were canceled. So I will probably rebook my flight in a couple of days. I'm now basically stranded in Beijing.” The heavy winds are being driven by a cold vortex system over Mongolia, which is anticipated to last through the weekend. While seasonal winds carrying dust from Mongolia are normal in the spring, climate change is believed to intensify these meteorological phenomena, leading to fiercer storms. Beijing has issued its first orange alert for strong winds in a decade, with estimates of winds reaching levels 11 to 13 on China's wind scale. The public is hoping for a return to calmer weather by Sunday as they navigate this challenging weather event.
