Two dead as Beijing is battered by powerful storm

At least two people have died in Beijing as China is battered by one of the strongest storms to hit the country in years.

Storm Doksuri has been causing widespread flooding and has led to chaos across northern China.

In the capital, at least 31,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, while subway stations have been closed.

While the storm – a former super-typhoon – is weakening, officials have urged people to remain indoors.

A red alert has been issued in the city and employers have been ordered to allow people to work from home, with the death toll from the severe flooding expected to rise in the coming days.

Rainfall in Beijing and other cities in northern China has already reached dangerously high levels, while driving rains are expected to continue for at least another 24 hours.

China’s Meteorological Bureau said an average of 170.9mm of rain deluged Beijing between Saturday night and noon on Monday, the equivalent of the average rainfall for the entire month of July.

The storm made landfall in Fujian Province on Friday, causing landslides and flooding before moving north towards the capital.

In footage shared online by Beijing residents, cars could be seen being swept away by torrential rains and there are fears that passengers could have been trapped inside after waters rose rapidly. —BBC