The worst-affected spot of the capital recorded 29.3 inches (74.4 centimeters) of rain from Saturday through Wednesday, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said in a social media post. That’s the most ever in data going back to 1883 — nearly three decades before the fall of the Qing dynasty.
The record rainfall comes just six weeks after Beijing notched its highest temperature ever at 41.8C (107F). The whiplash of weather extremes is highlighting the rising threat that climate change is posing to China’s economy.
The remnants of Typhoon Doksuri caused widespread flooding and damage, and forced nearly a million people to be evacuated from their homes in Beijing and neighboring Hebei province this week. Danger from the rain had eased in the capital by Wednesday, but authorities warned that storms are heading north, toward provinces that are key hubs for coal-mining and crops.
Separately, authorities in east Asia are monitoring another storm, Typhoon Khanun. It’s now expected to move toward waters south of Japan in coming days, China’s National Meteorological Center said Wednesday.