Capital Gets Ready to Face More Rain

China Daily, July 26, 2012

 

Beijing city was preparing for further downpours on Wednesday after the heaviest rainfall for 61 years on Saturday lashed the city and left 37 people dead.

 

Heavy rain is forecast for the capital over the coming days, with average precipitation of 30 to 50 millimeters, Zhang Linna, chief forecaster at the Beijing Meteorological Station, said.

 

Workers were allowed to go home early on Wednesday to avoid evening traffic jams.

 

The capital's roads will be cordoned off if water rises above 30 centimeters, and traffic police were dispatched to deal with emergencies, traffic authorities said.

 

Beijing Capital International Airport, with 1,511 flights scheduled for Wednesday, prepared food, water and blankets in case flight delays stranded passengers.

 

Some passengers went to the trouble of preparing their own food and bringing ample water supplies.

 

Saturday's torrential rains directly affected 1.6 million people and caused losses of 11.64 billion yuan ($1.82 billion), the Beijing municipal government said on Wednesday night.

 

In Fangshan, a Beijing district heavily battered by the storm on Saturday, villagers were still trying to clear up.

 

A large number of volunteers in the district's Nanguan village were removing dead pigs and debris.