Recently, due to extreme weather occurring in multiple provinces and cities in mainland China, the China Meteorological Administration declared a level four emergency. Torrential rains caused traffic mayhem and school closures in Beijing, residents in Hebei Province held onto trees to keep from getting flushed away, and floods in Sichuan swept away several ships.
Beijing began seeing heavy precipitation from around 11:30 in the evening on July 11, with an average rainfall of more than 2 inches. The rainfall in Fangshan New Village, Fangshan District, Beijing exceeded 4.3 inches. Lightning and thunder were erupting everywhere, in some places constant and intense lightning even lit up the sky. Rainstorms caused severe traffic irregularities, while more than 700 flights were canceled and trains delayed. On July 12, all kindergarten, primary, and secondary schools, as well as outdoor sports activities, were suspended.
