Flights cancelled, schools closed as Beijing hit by storm

Weather authorities warned of “extreme rainstorms” plus thunder and lightning from late Sunday to Monday evening in Beijing and neighbouring areas.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled in Beijing as schools and tourist sites were shut due to torrential downpours and gale-force winds on July 12. City authorities issued warnings to residents to stay home as the Chinese capital faced its biggest storm this year. As much as 100 millimetres of rain is predicted through the day in some areas, and aviation tracker VariFlight recorded some 700 flights cancelled at the city’s two airports.