Hundreds of flights, trains cancelled as high winds, sandstorms hit China

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and train lines were suspended as gales hit Beijing and northern China on Saturday.

By 11:30 local time (03:30 GMT) on Saturday, 838 flights had been cancelled at the capital’s two major airports, according to the Reuters news agency.

Wind gusts of up to 93mph (150 kph) – the strongest in the Chinese capital for more than half a century – are set to continue through the weekend, forcing the closure of attractions and historic sites.

Millions were urged to stay indoors on Friday, with some state media outlets warning that people weighing less than 50kg may be “easily blown away”.

Train services including the airport’s express subway line and some high-speed rail lines have been suspended. Parks were also shut, with some old trees reinforced or trimmed in preparation but almost 300 trees have already fallen over in the capital.

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A number of vehicles were damaged but no injuries were reported – in Beijing most residents followed authorities’ advice to stay indoors after the city warned 22 million residents to avoid non-essential travel.

“Everyone in Beijing was really nervous about it. Today there are hardly any people out on the streets. However, it wasn’t as severe as I had imagined”, a local resident told the Reuters news agency.

While a businessman from the Zhejiang province had his flight home cancelled.

“Because of the severe winds, all flights scheduled for last night and today were cancelled. So I will probably rebook my flight in a couple of days. I’m now basically stranded in Beijing,” he said.

The strong winds are coming from a cold vortex system over Mongolia and are expected to last through the weekend.

Beijing issued its first orange alert for strong winds in a decade with the strongest winds expected on Saturday.

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, with conditions expected to ease by Sunday.

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