More rain expected for Beijing in coming days

Public buses steer clear of flood zones; many flights are canceled 

Beijing is expected to see more brief but strong rainfall in the coming two days after thundershowers brought floods to some lowland areas and water bodies in the city and causing some roads to collapse on Monday.

Average precipitation in the capital from 8 pm on Sunday to 10 am Monday reached 36.6 millimeters, according to Beijing Meteorological Service.

The observatory also said the Zhangjiafen monitoring station in Miyun district received the most rain－about 310 millimeters－while 22 of the 108 monitoring stations in the city saw precipitation of more than 100 millimeters.

The heavy rain brought the biggest flood of the past two decades to the Baihe River in Miyun district at around 6 am. The water level in Dashuiyu Reservoir was 1.7 meters above the safety level, according to the Beijing flood control authority.

It said 782 people from Miyun, Huairou and Fangshan districts were evacuated. According to the Beijing municipal government, 128 tourist sites were temporarily closed as of 4 pm. The rain also led to road collapses in nine places.

Some bridge underpasses were also flooded, and some areas near the Xi'erqi subway station were inundated. Some cars broke down in the water.

Beijing Public Transport said it had to adjust routes or stops of 26 buses to avoid flooded areas as of 1 pm.

Many flights at Beijing Capital International Airport were canceled or delayed. According to the airport authority, the weather forced a 40 percent decrease in traffic capacity between 8 and 12 am on Monday.

As of 2 pm, China Southern Airlines had canceled 37 flights. The company said flight delays were expected to continue until 6 pm. Air China also canceled 61 of its flights as of 1 pm.