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Residents weighing under 50kg told to stay indoors amid storm threats
What you need to know:
- According to Reuters, which reported the development on Monday, April 14, 2025, China’s meteorological authority has issued five alerts over the past two weeks (on Saturdays and Sundays) regarding a severe storm bringing strong winds, heavy rain, snow and lightning across the northern regions.
Mwanza/Shanghai. Authorities in northern China have advised residents weighing less than 50 kilograms to remain indoors amid dangerously strong winds sweeping through the region, warning that individuals with lower body weight could be easily blown away.
According to Reuters, which reported the development on Monday, April 14, 2025, China’s meteorological authority has issued five alerts over the past two weeks (on Saturdays and Sundays) regarding a severe storm bringing strong winds, heavy rain, snow and lightning across the northern regions.
The winds have reached force 13 on the Beaufort scale – which ranges from level 1 to 17.
According to the Chinese weather service, winds at level 11 can cause significant structural damage, while level 12 winds are considered extremely destructive.
On Friday, Beijing issued its second-highest wind alert – a level rarely used – marking the first time in a decade that such a warning has been raised in the capital.
The storm, driven by powerful air currents moving from Mongolia towards the south, brought wind speeds of up to 150 km/h across Beijing, Tianjin and parts of Hebei province.
Local authorities warned that the winds were strong enough to uproot trees with trunks up to 30 centimetres in diameter. In an attempt to minimise potential harm, city parks were temporarily closed and older trees were either pruned or reinforced.
Despite these preventive measures, approximately 300 trees were felled by the winds, causing damage to several vehicles. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Officials also urged the capital’s 22 million residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
“There was a lot of anxiety in Beijing today. The streets were noticeably emptier. That said, it wasn’t as bad as I feared,” one resident told Reuters.
Another local, a 30-year-old named Li, added: “It wasn’t quite severe enough to stay indoors entirely, but it certainly disrupted daily activities.”
The storm also affected transport. More than 400 flights were cancelled at Beijing Capital International Airport, and several railway services were suspended. While retail shops remained open, goods were quickly removed from outdoor displays.
In the cities of Shijiazhuang and Laiyuan in Hebei province, fallen trees and debris blocked several roads, while sandstorms prompted nighttime road closures by authorities.
Elsewhere in the western regions of Gansu and Ningxia, sandstorms were also reported, with visibility dropping to as low as 50 metres in some areas.
