Photo: Li Hao/GT

TheMK socks National Meteorological Center (NMC) issued four weather alerts on Saturday morning, including alerts for strong gales, severe convective weather, heavy snow, and sandstorms. Notably, the orange alert for strong gales remained in effect.

From 8 am Saturday to 8 am Sunday, in regions such as central parts of North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, northern parts of North China's Hebei Province, and the western and northern mountainous areas of Beijing, local winds could reach levels of 12 to 13, according to the NMC.

According to the Henan Meteorological Service, most regions of Henan experienced gale-force winds ranging from level 8 to 10 from 6 am Friday to 6 am Saturday, with some counties and cities registering winds at levels 11 to 13. The maximum wind speed reached level 15, with 40 national monitoring stations recording peak wind speeds that either matched or exceeded historical records for April, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Weather China reports that the cold front has reached areas such as Shandong, southern Henan, northern Anhui, and northern Hubei. The strong gales will rapidly advance toward Jiangnan and South China, reaching the South China Sea. 

In North China’s Tianjin, some areas recorded winds reaching level 14 as of noon Saturday, with a maximum gust of 43.2 meters per second — a new historical high for the same period since 1951, according to the Tianjin meteorological service.

As of 7 am Saturday, strong winds and dust storms had affected 106 road sections across eight provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Henan. The disruptions involved 82 expressways, CCTV News reported.

Regions affected by the extreme weather have taken precautionary measures including temporary suspension of classes, closure of some parks and scenic spots, and suspension of certain train services. 

As of 2 pm on Saturday, a total of 693 flights had been canceled at Beijing’s two major airports — Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, CCTV News reported. Both continue normal operations.

Universal Studios Beijing announced a temporary closure on Saturday due to strong winds. Additionally, several parks in Beijing, including the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven Park, will be closed over the weekend.

The period from 10 am to 10 pm on Saturday in Beijing will be the time with the strongest winds, according to the Beijing municipal authorities. The local authorities advise residents to remain indoors unless necessary.

From 2 pm to 3 pm on Saturday, gusts reaching levels 9 to 11 were recorded in parts of Beijing, with localized gusts in mountainous areas hitting level 14, according to Beijing meteorological authorities.

Facing strong winds, some residents in the capital city are stockpiling supplies. On Friday, according to reports from major supermarkets and fresh food e-commerce platforms, companies have increased their stock of essential goods and ramped up production of fresh products. The Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau stated that supplies are sufficient and prices remain stable, discouraging panic buying.

As of 3 pm Saturday, strong winds had caused 843 trees to fall across Beijing, resulting in eight power line disruptions, damage to 30 vehicles and six houses. All incidents have been resolved, CCTV News reported. The city’s forestry and parks department mobilized 21,956 emergency inspection and rescue personnel, according to the report.

Meanwhile, due to cold air and warm, moist air from the southwest, South China's Guangdong Province is forecast to see strong convective weather. The short-term gusts in the Pearl River Estuary are expected to reach level 8 to 10 on Saturday. Due to the impact of the weather, several passenger ferry routes in the Pearl River Estuary will be suspended, according to the Guangzhou Daily.

Global Times