Heavy rain sweeps Beijing, cooling heatwave

Beijing experienced sudden heavy rain from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning, with some areas seeing torrential downpours.

Between 4pm on Wednesday and 8am on Thursday, the city recorded an average rainfall of 37.4 millimeters. Urban districts averaged 55.8 millimeters, meeting the threshold for heavy rain. Parts of Daxing and Fangshan districts also saw torrential levels.

Beijing is expected to have rain on Thursday as well.

The rain provided a brief break from the heat. According to the National Meteorological Center, Thursday's high temperature fell to 30 C, down from 33.1 C on Wednesday. However, temperatures are expected to rebound quickly, climbing back to 34 C on Friday.

Xin Xin, a meteorological analyst from Weather China, attributed the sudden showers to convective storms forming along the edge of the subtropical high, noting the variations in timing and location.

On Thursday morning, Beijing issued a blue alert, its lowest-level heavy rain alert of the four-tiered system, warning that hourly rainfall could exceed 30 millimeters in most districts.

Residents in mountainous areas were advised to guard against secondary hazards such as flash floods, mudslides, and landslides, while those in low-lying neighborhoods were urged to prepare for possible flooding.