Beijing Dongcheng district urban management law enforcement bureau organizes district-wide inspections targeting construction sites and other sectors on April 10, 2025, as part of precautionary measures. Photo: VCG

Extreme gale alerts have prompted several regions in China, including Beijing, Tianjin, and North China's Hebei Province, to enact safety measures, including temporary suspension of classes, closure of some parks and scenic spots, and suspension of certain train services as precautionary steps. 

China's meteorological authority on Friday maintained an orange alert for strong winds in several parts of the country.

From 8 pm Saturday to 8 pm Sunday, some regions across China such as western and northern mountainous areas of Beijing and northern Hebei are forecast to see winds of up to level 10-11, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

The center also warned the public to heighten vigilance as multiple severe weather threats such as wind, sandstorm and temperature drops are expected to hit central and eastern regions of China on Friday and Saturday.

As of 2 pm on Friday afternoon, the western regions of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region experienced maximum level-10 wind, according to China's meteorological authorities. 

The maximum wind speed recorded at 6 pm was 23.1 meters per second (level-9) in some parts of Beijing, according to local meteorological authorities. 

The Hebei provincial meteorological authorities have issued a red alert for strong winds.

Impacted by a strong cold front, Xiong'an New Area in North China's Hebei Province is expected to face severe gales and a sharp temperature drop from Friday to Sunday. In response, all primary and middle schools (including vocational schools), kindergartens, and off-campus training institutions were suspended from Friday afternoon. On Monday, classes will proceed as normal in the region, according to CCTV News.

Some other cities in Hebei including Shijiazhuang and Baoding also suspended classes for certain students on Friday afternoon due to the impact of the strong gale, according to Hebei Traffic Radio.

The Beijing municipal emergency management office also reminded residents to minimize or suspend outdoor activities, and stay clear of trees, billboards, and temporary structures.

In Beijing, some residents went to supermarkets to buy supplies, with some e-commerce stores delaying delivery times. "In a small to medium-sized supermarket near my home, when I went there around 10 am, it was very crowded. Some shelves were empty, but they were restocked quickly," a Beijing local resident living in Haidian district, surnamed Liu, told the Global Times on Friday.

According to the China Railway Beijing Group Co, 56 train services in Beijing and surrounding areas were temporarily suspended on Friday, and 103 train services will be suspended temporarily on Saturday to ensure safe operation, according to Beijing Daily.

The Beijing Capital International Airport has also warned that the strong winds may disrupt normal operations, potentially leading to flight delays or cancellations.

Meanwhile, authorities in Beijing and Tianjin have suspended certain cultural events and closed some scenic sites as safety precautions. 

The topic "stay home Saturday" were trending on China's X-like social media platform Sina Weibo on Friday as the safety advisory went viral.

The topic "one expert advises those under 50 kilograms not to go outside" has garnered over 74 million views on Sina Weibo.

The Sina Weibo public account of the Xinhua News Agency shared a video of an experiment being conducted to see what level of wind can blow away a person weighing approximately 50 kilograms. According to the video, when the wind force exceeded level-11, the girl was blown away.

People with greater body weight suddenly feel "a sense of physical superiority," one netizen wrote via Sina Weibo.

"It seems that being fat has its advantages. While you all are at home, I'm going to work," another netizen wrote.

China's meteorological authority on Friday continued to issue a blue alert for sandstorms. According to the April climate outlook, northern China is expected to experience five to six sandstorm episodes, slightly above the historical average, with moderately stronger intensity than in previous years, according to a release sent to the Global Times by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. 

Enhanced response measures, including real-time monitoring, will be implemented, said the administration.