Severe Winds Hit China, Disrupting Residents' Lives!
- Doyoung Lim
- Apr 14
- 1 min read
April 14 2025
By Doyoung Lim
Due to strong winds, hundreds of flights were canceled in Beijing and northern China on Saturday.
According to the news agency Reuters, by 11:30 local time (03:30 GMT) on last Saturday, approximately 838 flights had been canceled at the two major airports in the capital.
Winds gusts of up to 133kph- the strongest wind in the Chinese capital- starting on Friday, continued through the weekend, forcing the tourist attractions, historical sites, and heritages to close.
Millions of residents were required to stay indoors on Friday and the weekend, with some state media warning that people weighing less than 50kg could be easily blown away.
In a decade, Beijing has issued an orange alert for the first time - the second-highest in a four-tier weather warning system.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, China measures wind speed with scales from 1 to 17; a scale of 11 can cause severe damage, and a level of 12 wind brings extreme destruction. In addition, the winds are expected to range from 11 to 13.
Tourist attractions have been closed as residents are asked to avoid outdoor activities, while transportation services such as buses and trains are suspended. Due to the strong winds, Beijing has also issued an alert for forest fires.
As China faces strong winds for a week, these winds will affect South Korea with wind gusts this week. The winds are expected to weaken from Sunday night.
