BEIJING, July 24, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Authorities in northern China warned heavy
rains could bring floods and landslides Wednesday, issuing the country's
second-highest flood response.

China is enduring a summer of extreme weather, with heavy rains across the
east and south coming as much of the north has sweltered under successive
heatwaves.

And after days of scorching temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius (95
degrees Fahrenheit) in Beijing, city authorities Wednesday triggered the
second-highest flood prevention response.

Up to 150 millimetres (six inches) of rain could drench parts of the capital
-- home to around 22 million people -- in a 24-hour period between Wednesday
and Thursday evening, a statement on the city's official Wechat said.

The downpours could "trigger mountain torrents, mudslides, landslips and
other secondary disasters," it said.

City authorities have ordered the temporary closure of some tourist spots as
well as mountain and riverside hostels out of safety concerns, the statement
said.

Beijing residents received text messages urging them to reduce outdoor
activity, stay away from hilly or riverside areas, and take note of places of
shelter.

Authorities in neighbouring Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing and is
home to more than 70 million people, also warned of flooding, state news
agency Xinhua said.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters warned there was
a "high risk" that the heavy rains would cause natural disasters.

In eastern Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, Typhoon Gaemi was expected to make
landfall on Thursday.

Authorities issued a red storm alert for the typhoon and Fujian has suspended
all train services for Thursday.

Local media, citing officials, reported that coastal areas could see four-to
six-metre-high (13-20 foot) waves.

Gaemi has already prompted officials in self-governing Taiwan to close
schools and declare a typhoon holiday.

Flash floods in northern and southwest China killed at least 20 people over
the weekend.

And in May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, leaving
48 dead.

China is by far the world's largest emitter of the greenhouse gases that
scientists say drive climate change and make extreme weather more frequent
and intense.

Long addicted to polluting energy sources like coal, China has pledged to
bring emissions of planet-heating carbon dioxide to a peak by 2030 and to net
zero by 2060.

But it is already the world's largest producer of renewable energy, with
research this month showing Beijing is building almost twice as much solar
and wind power capacity as every other country combined.