Recently, Beijing has been hit by continuous extreme heavy rainfalls. On July 28, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau issued a red alert for heavy rain across the city, with an average precipitation of 165.9 millimeters by midnight. The highest recorded precipitation was 543.4 millimeters in Miyun Langfangyu and Zhujiayu. Due to the rainfall, all suburban railways in Beijing were shut down on July 29.
The consecutive days of rainfall have impacted railway operations. Due to the rain alerts, on July 29, all trains on the S2 line, Huairou-Miyun line, and Tongmi line were suspended. On July 30, the S202 train on the S2 line was temporarily suspended; the S501, S512, S515, and S522 trains on the Huairou-Miyun line were temporarily suspended; and the S602 and S611 trains on the Tongmi line were also temporarily suspended.
Just a day before the suspension of operations (on the 28th), the Beijing Meteorological Bureau issued a red alert for heavy rain in the entire city, leading to the initiation of a level one emergency flood response by the city’s flood control headquarters. All tourist attractions in the city were closed, and on the 29th, the Beijing Palace Museum and the National Museum of China were temporarily closed.
From the night of the 28th to the morning of the 29th, extreme heavy rainfall hit the Miyun District of Beijing, leading to a massive flash flood disaster. By 10 a.m. on July 29, the Miyun District had activated a level one emergency response for natural disaster relief, with over 1,200 people evacuated.
The maximum recorded precipitation during this heavy rainfall event reached 210 millimeters, with the most severe damage occurring in low-lying areas such as Fengjiayu Town and Bulao Village. Fengjiayu Town’s Koumenzi Village was particularly hard hit, with floodwaters breaching riverbanks in a short period, flooding village roads within 20 minutes. The rushing water carried tree trunks and debris onto the streets, causing water to enter some houses up to the level of window sills.
This disaster has caused losses in the agricultural sector, with official CCP statistics indicating over 200 mu (13.33 hectares) of farmland destroyed and more than 50 vegetable greenhouses washed away. In terms of infrastructure, three main roads including Liuxin Road were interrupted by landslides, and damage to some communication base stations led to three natural villages losing connectivity.
On the 28th, the Beijing Miyun District Taishitun Town Nursing Home was surrounded by floodwaters, and 48 trapped individuals were rescued. Relatives of residents at the nursing home told mainland media that an elderly lady and her partially paralyzed nephew residing at the home drowned in the Miyun floodwaters.
State media reported that the extreme heavy rain in Beijing’s Miyun region has resulted in 30 deaths, including 28 in Miyun and 2 in Yanqing.
Some netizens have expressed shock at the intensity of the rainfall and the rapid rise of water levels due to drainage, speculating that the death toll may exceed 30 as some villages are reported to have been cut off.
Others online have commented on the unusual and persistent rainy weather in Beijing, noting the consecutive issuance of red alerts for heavy rain, leading to many institutions declaring holidays in response.