China issues multiple alerts for extreme weather

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) at 6 a.m. on Saturday renewed an orange alert for strong winds, a yellow alert for severe convective weather, a yellow alert for blizzards and a blue alert for sandstorms.

According to the NMC forecast, from 8 a.m. on April 12 to 8 a.m. on April 13, strong winds of force 5 to 6 are expected in parts of northeast China and the Sichuan Basin. Inner Mongolia, northwest China, north China and the Huanghuai region will experience stronger winds of force 6 to 8, with gusts reaching force 9 to 11. In some areas, such as central Inner Mongolia, northern Shanxi, northern Hebei, and the mountainous areas of Beijing, gusts could reach force 12 to 13.

From 8 a.m. on April 13 to 8 a.m. on April 14, winds of force 5 to 7 will continue across northwest China, Inner Mongolia, north China, the Huanghuai and Jianghuai regions, and parts of northeast China, with gusts of force 8 to 9. In Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Beijing, gusts may reach force 10 to 11.

Between 8 a.m. on April 12 and 8 a.m. on April 13, parts of south China are expected to experience thunderstorm gales of force 8 or above, or hail. In southern Jiangxi, northeastern Guangxi and northern Guangdong, local thunderstorm gales may exceed force 10, with peak gusts surpassing force 11. Parts of south China will also see short-term heavy rainfall of over 20 mm per hour, with localized hourly rainfall exceeding 50 mm – and potentially over 60 mm – in southern Jiangxi, central and northern Guangdong, and northeastern Hainan. The most intense period of severe convection is expected from Saturday morning to noon.

From 8 a.m. on April 12 to 8 a.m. on April 13, blizzards are forecast in parts of Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Xizang and the Western Sichuan Plateau. Some areas in eastern Inner Mongolia and southeastern Jilin may experience heavy blizzards, with snowfall reaching 20 to 28 mm. Newly accumulated snow depths will range from 5 to 15 cm, locally exceeding 20 cm.

Due to strong winds driven by cold air, dust is expected in parts of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and the Sichuan Basin. Localized sandstorms may occur in southern Xinjiang.

From late April 11 to the early hours of April 12, Beijing's Mentougou District recorded the city's highest wind gust at 38.7 meters per second, equivalent to force 13, with a notably strong wind chill.

According to the Beijing Meteorological Service, in response to the orange alert for strong winds, Beijing is expected to experience its peak wind period from the first half of the night on April 12 through daytime April 13. Average wind speeds will reach force 6, with gusts of force 9 to 11 in the plains. In districts such as Yanqing, Changping, Mentougou, Fangshan, Huairou, Pinggu, and Miyun, gusts may reach force 11 to 13, and exceed force 13 in mountainous areas.

Strong northerly winds will persist on April 13, with average wind speeds around force 5 and gusts of force 8 to 9. In western and northern Beijing, gusts may exceed force 9. Winds are expected to gradually weaken on Monday afternoon.

China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The strong gale has led to a suspension of flights and passenger trains as well as expressway shutdowns. According to the China Railway Beijing Group, some 56 train services were temporarily halted on Friday, and 103 services are scheduled to be canceled on Saturday.

China's Ministry of Emergency Management also issued an early-warning response for severe convection on Friday across 13 provincial-level regions, including Hubei and Hunan, for strong winds, sandstorms, and intense convective weather in the central and eastern parts of the country.

The emergency response to forest and grassland fires has been raised from Level IV, the lowest level in the country's four-tier emergency response system, to Level III, according to the ministry.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: A tree is blown down by the strong wind in Baofeng County, Henan Province, central China, April 12, 2025. /VCG)