China: Flood in Beijing kills at least two persons

At least two people have died in Beijing as the country is hammered by one of the biggest storms in years.

Storm Doksuri has caused massive floods and chaos in northern China.

According to reports, at least 31,000 people have been forced to abandon their houses in the capital, and subway stations have been shuttered.

Meanwhile, the city has declared a red alert, and employers have been forced to allow employees to work from home, as the death toll from the extreme floods is projected to climb in the coming days.

Rainfall in Beijing and other northern Chinese cities has already reached dangerously high levels, and heavy rains are likely to last at least another 24 hours.

According to China’s Meteorological Bureau, an average of 170.9mm of rain fell over Beijing between Saturday night and midday on Monday, the equivalent of the entire month of July’s average rainfall.

According to reports, the storm made landfall on Friday in Fujian Province, causing landslides and flooding before continuing north towards the capital.

Subway stations were engulfed by the flooding, while to the south of the city, a railway bridge was washed away. Dozens of flights have also been cancelled to and from the city.

In the Mentougou district, emergency officials recovered the two bodies from waterways early, state media reported.

About 5,000 people have been evacuated from the mountainous district.

Meanwhile, in southern China, typhoon Khanun is expected to hit the heavily populated Zhejiang Province in the coming days.

The floods are the latest catastrophic weather event to batter China this summer. The country has repeatedly set temperature records, which scientists warn are being exacerbated by climate change.

The world has already warmed by around 1.1 degrees Celsius since the beginning of the industrial age, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world drastically reduce emissions.