Torrential rains and landslides in northern China cause deaths in excess of 30 people
Northern China is currently grappling with a severe flood disaster, following heavy rainstorms that have forced more than 80,000 people in Beijing alone to evacuate their homes. This catastrophe, which started on July 23, 2025, has also affected Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, and surrounding areas, causing extensive damage and loss of life.
The six-day extreme rainfall event dropped approximately 40% of Beijing’s annual average rainfall, with some districts like Miyun receiving over 540 mm of rain—record levels since 1959. The flooding has resulted in at least 34 confirmed deaths, with 30 in Beijing (mostly in Miyun and Yanqing districts) and 4 in Hebei (near Chengde, due to a landslide), with 8 others still missing.
The disaster has caused significant damage to infrastructure such as 31 roads and the power grid, causing outages affecting over 130 villages and disrupting 1,800+ base stations. In response, authorities have activated emergency systems, with Beijing raising its flood-control emergency response to the highest Level I; Hebei to Level II; and Tianjin issuing its highest red rain alert. The national government has triggered a Level IV national emergency response and elevated local responses to Level III for flood control.
Relief efforts include the deployment of multiple flood control teams, distribution of tens of thousands of relief items like beds, blankets, emergency lighting, and household kits by government and Red Cross. The severe rainfall has been attributed to a combination of summer monsoon, subtropical high pressure bringing heat, and the residual circulation effects of multiple typhoons (notably Typhoon Doksuri and approaching Typhoon Co-may), which have caused climate conditions favourable for extreme downpours and flooding.
Governments have urged people to stay indoors, suspended schools and construction activities, and closed tourism venues for safety. Concerns remain about secondary disasters due to the approach of Typhoon Co-may on China’s eastern coast, forecasted to hit Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.
In neighbouring Hebei province, a landslide in a village killed eight people, with four still missing. In Xinanzhuang village, homes, cars, and a road have been submerged in murky water. A local man in his sixties in Xinanzhuang village said he had never seen water levels so high. Nearby the Miyun Reservoir, torrents of water gushed from spillways, reaching their highest levels since the reservoir's construction in 1959.
The army has been mobilized to assist in disaster relief operations, with CCTV footage showing soldiers in orange life vests delivering supplies, carrying people on stretchers, and clearing debris from roads. In Beijing's northern Huairou district and southwestern Fangshan, heavy rainstorms have also caused significant damage.
The government and Communist Party have collectively allocated around 490 million yuan ($68 million) for disaster relief in nine regions hit by heavy rains. As of midnight Monday, 30 people have died in Beijing due to the rainstorms, according to flood control authorities. A Miyun resident named Jiang stated that the rain was unusually heavy and the roads are full of water, preventing people from going to work.
Local authorities have issued flash flood warnings through Tuesday evening, with the city of Chengde and surrounding areas under the highest alert. Social media users have shared anxious accounts of being unable to reach family members in Hebei's mountainous Xinglong county. Some villages have lost contact, and rescuers are still trying to reach them, according to China National Radio.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for authorities to prepare for worst-case scenarios and relocate residents of flood-threatened areas. The heavy rainstorms are expected to last until Wednesday, with the weather authorities issuing a second-highest rainstorm warning for Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, and 10 other provinces.
- The flooding in Northern China, caused by heavy rainstorms since July 23, 2025, has resulted in car-accidents due to the poor road conditions and outages, affecting more than 130 villages and disrupting over 1,800 base stations.
- The general-news reports that, following the extreme rainfall event, authorities have issued flash flood warnings through Tuesday evening for several regions, including Chengde, with the Miyun Reservoir experiencing its highest water levels since its construction in 1959.
- As the heavy rainstorms are expected to last until Wednesday, authorities are urging people to stay indoors, especially in flood-threatened areas like Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, and surrounding regions, due to the potential risks of both flooding and car-accidents. The weather forecasting indicates a second-highest rainstorm warning for these areas as well as 10 other provinces.
