Violent winds wreaked havoc in Beijing and parts of northern China on Saturday, causing nearly 700 flight cancellations, halting rail services, and closing major tourist attractions, state media reported.
These winds are primarily due to cold air vortices formed over Mongolia moving east and south, sweeping across northern China this weekend, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).
“The strongest winds are expected on Saturday, potentially matching or even surpassing the historical records set in 1951,” the CMA stated.
The CMA advised residents in affected areas to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Earlier, Beijing issued its first orange alert in ten years, the second-highest warning level, for strong winds this weekend.
By Saturday afternoon, 699 flights at Beijing’s two airports had been cancelled, according to CCTV. Rail services, including several high-speed train lines, were also suspended, CCTV reported. Beijing tourist sites such as the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the zoo, and Universal Studios theme park were closed on Saturday.
A half-marathon scheduled for Sunday in Beijing was postponed, which was set to feature humanoid robot runners. Nearly 300 trees were uprooted, and 19 vehicles were damaged in the capital, CCTV stated, adding that no injuries had been reported so far.
