IN PHOTOS: Deadly floods in China leave parts of the country underwater

Heavy rains were triggered by the arrival of typhoon Doksuri in late July, which hit Beijing and the province of Hebei for about a week before moving northeast.

At least 22 people were killed this week in northern and northeast China after record-breaking rains caused rivers to swell and roads to flood.

The most extreme rainfall to hit the Chinese capital of Beijing in 140 years left people without power and left communities in shambles in the neighbouring Hebei province before moving into the northeastern part of the country.

The rain was triggered by the arrival of typhoon Doksuri in late July, which hit Beijing and the province of Hebei for about a week, before moving into China’s biggest grain-producing province.

As Doksuri’s rain clouds headed north, a subtropical and continental high-pressure system in the atmosphere blocked their passage, leading to the continuing convergence of water vapour that acted like a dam storing water, meteorologists say.

At the same time, typhoon Khanun was gathering strength in the Western Pacific. As it approached China’s coast, moisture from the storm fed into Doksuri, effectively keeping the initial typhoon circulating and increasing the amount of rain.

The country was mostly spared by Khanun, which primarily hit Japan and knocked out power on Okinawa and other islands.

In Beijing, hundreds of roads were flooded and flights were either delayed or cancelled. School classes in the city of more than 20 million were also suspended.

The impact was more pronounced in the city’s western suburbs where raging water coursed down roads, sweeping away cars in the Mentougou and Fangshan districts. Villages in mountainous areas were also cut off, prompting helicopters to be deployed to drop off food, water and emergency supplies.