Strong winds swept across Beijing and other parts of northern China on Saturday, prompting the cancellation of hundreds of flights, the suspension of railway services, and the closure of popular tourist attractions, according to state media reports.
The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said the powerful gusts were primarily caused by a cold vortex system that had formed over Mongolia.
The system began moving east and south from Friday, bringing turbulent weather across the region throughout the weekend.
“The most intense winds are expected during the daytime of April 12, with speeds at some monitoring stations forecast to reach or even exceed historical records for this time of year dating back to 1951,” the CMA said in a statement.
Authorities in Beijing issued an orange alert—the city’s first second-highest-level warning for strong winds in a decade—in anticipation of the storm’s peak impact.
By Saturday morning, at least 413 flights at Beijing Capital International Airport had been cancelled, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Rail services were also disrupted, including the airport express subway line and segments of the high-speed rail network.
In addition, some tourist destinations in the capital, such as the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, Beijing Zoo, and the Universal Studios theme park, were closed to the public as a safety precaution.
CCTV also said that nearly 300 trees had been uprooted across the capital, damaging 19 vehicles. However, no injuries had been reported as of Saturday afternoon.
China remains the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases—pollutants that scientists link to climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
Last year, the country experienced severe storms and widespread flooding that claimed dozens of lives and forced mass evacuations. In one particularly deadly incident in May, a highway collapse in southern China caused by prolonged rainfall killed 48 people.
