Storms trigger disaster alert in north China

Beijing issued on Saturday a warning for geological disasters including landslides and mudslides after intense rainfall the day before, with storms circulating China’s north unleashing for a second time a year’s rain on nearby Baoding.

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The Beijing meteorological agency's alert for 10 of the city’s 16 districts came as local authorities also warned of flash floods in mountainous areas.

In neighbouring Hebei, extreme overnight rain in Fuping, a part of the industrial city of Baoding, saw records broken at a local weather station with 145 mm (5.7 inches) per hour of precipitation, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The Xizhuang station recorded a maximum rainfall of 540 mm over an eight-hour period, superseding Baoding's average annual rainfall of about 500 mm.