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Extreme Weather Event in Northern China -- People Under 110 lbs Warned to Stay Inside [1]
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Date: 2025-04-11
Each Spring, China tends to be buffeted by high wind events originating from Mongolia, but this weekend appears to be the most severe in at least a decade and has prompted many local authorities to warn everyone to stay indoors through Sunday — particularly those weighing less than 50 kilos (110 pounds), or risk literally being blown away by hurricane force winds up to 150 kph (95 mph).
And unlike hurricanes and typhoons where the strongest winds usually affect a relatively small area for just a few hours, these annual weather events in China can affect much of the country over a period of several days at a time. From the BBC:
Workers have been told to hurry home, classes have been suspended and outdoor events have been cancelled as northern China braces for extreme winds this weekend. Millions have been urged to stay indoors, with some state media outlets warning that people weighing less than 50kg (110lbs) may be "easily blown away". Winds reaching 150kph (93mph) are expected to sweep Beijing, Tianjin and other parts of Hebei region from Friday to Sunday, as a cold vortex moves southeast from Mongolia. For the first time in a decade, Beijing has issued an orange alert for gales - the second-highest in a four-tier weather warning system. Strong winds sweeping from Mongolia are not uncommon, especially at this time of the year. But the impending winds are expected to be stronger than anything the area has seen in years. Temperatures in Beijing are expected to drop by 13 degrees Celsius within 24 hours, when the strongest winds hit on Saturday, authorities said. "This strong wind is extreme, lasts for a long time, affects a wide area, and is highly disastrous," the Beijing Meteorological Service said. China measures wind speed with a scale that goes from level 1 to 17. A level 11 wind, according to the China Meteorological Administration, can cause "serious damage", while a level 12 wind brings "extreme destruction". The winds this weekend are expected to range from level 11 to 13. Several sporting events slated for the weekend have been suspended, including the world's first humanoid robot half marathon, which will now be held on 19 April. Parks and tourist attractions have been closed as authorities have told residents to avoid outdoor activities, while construction works and train services have been suspended. Thousands of trees across the city have been reinforced or pruned to prevent them from falling. Officials have warned people to avoid entering mountains and forests, where gusts are expected to be especially strong.
This You Tube video (captured by local Chinese, but narrated in English) was apparently uploaded just today to provide some amazing footage of just how devastating this particular wind event has already been, and which is not expected to abate until Sunday night:
x YouTube Video
Let’s hear it for climate change that helps make severe weather events even more extreme and more frequent!
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