Beijing on alert of heavy rains, floods

The city of Beijing has been hit by a fresh round of heavy rainfall since late Tuesday, with an orange rain alert in effect across the city and an upgrade to the highest-level red alert in some suburban districts of the city.

From Tuesday night to Wednesday afternoon, the average precipitation citywide had reached 27.5 mm, with the maximum rainfall of 79.6 mm recorded at the Yudu Mountain in the northwestern suburban district of Yanqing, the Beijing meteorological observatory said. Meteorological authorities warn that the public in mountainous areas should guard against possible geological hazards, and the persistent rainfall may also disrupt the evening rush hour traffic.