Hundreds of flights cancelled as strong winds sweep northern China

BEIJING: Strong winds wreaked havoc in Beijing and parts of northern China on Saturday, causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled, attractions to close and rail lines to be suspended, state media said.

The powerful winds stemmed mainly from a cold vortex system formed over Mongolia that was moving east and south, sweeping across northern China from Friday through the weekend, the China Meteorological Administration said.

“The strongest winds are expected during the daytime of April 12, with wind speeds at some observation stations approaching or even surpassing historical records for the same period since 1951,” the CMA said in a statement.

Beijing earlier issued its first orange alert — the second-highest tier — for strong winds in a decade for this weekend.

As of Saturday morning, 413 flights at Beijing’s Capital International Airport had been cancelled, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Train services including the airport’s express subway line and some high-speed rail lines have also been suspended, CCTV added.

Tourist attractions including the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Beijing Zoo and the Universal Studios theme park were also temporarily closed Saturday.

Almost 300 trees in the Chinese capital had toppled and 19 vehicles had been damaged, CCTV said, adding that no injuries due to the strong winds had been reported in Beijing yet.

China is the world’s biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists say are driving climate change and making extreme weather more frequent and intense.

Dozens of people were killed and thousands evacuated during storms that caused severe flooding around the country last year.

In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, killing 48 people.