Beijing activates Level II flood response, urges flexible work arrangements

Beijing activated a Level II emergency flood response on Tuesday and urged flexible working arrangements to ensure public safety as the city prepares for heavy rain.

The city's flood control headquarters initiated the emergency response at 9 am, with officials at high-risk waterlogging points taking duty from noon. Local authorities are ordered to complete evacuations by 6 pm in mountainous villages, low-lying courtyards and other areas threatened by floods and geological hazards. Construction sites are ordered to halt work, while mountain campsites, scenic spots, and water-related tourist sites are closed, Beijing News reported.

From Wednesday, enterprises and public institutions are encouraged to adopt flexible or staggered working hours. Schools and off-campus training centers are to suspend classes, and organized outdoor sports events are to be put on hold. Traffic restrictions are imposed on key rescue routes and high-risk zones.

Daxing district activated a Level-I flood emergency response at 9 am on Tuesday, urging all units to implement rainfall prevention measures and closely monitor localized short-duration heavy rainfall events. Fangshan district, which had already received a red alert for heavy rain from the district meteorological observatory on Monday, escalated its response by activating a Level-I enhanced flood emergency response at 9 am on Tuesday, requiring the full implementation of preventive action measures. Meanwhile, Mentougou district's water affairs and meteorological authorities have issued red alerts for mountain torrents and orange alerts for urban waterlogging lasting from Tuesday at 8 pm to Thursday at 8 pm. They also urged all areas to monitor conditions closely, issue timely warnings and continue evacuation efforts.

Beijing has been upgrading its flood monitoring and early warning systems in recent years. Under a "one-year recovery, three-year upgrade" plan, 59 restoration projects were completed before the 2024 flood season, and 54 of 90 long-term projects had been finished by the end of July this year, including 550 km of river channel improvements, reinforcement of 10 reservoirs and sluice gates, and eight flood storage zones.

On the Yongding River's mountain section, the floodway cross-section has been widened by 30 percent on average, with flow resistance cut by 40 percent. Five new mountain reservoirs are also being planned.

The city has established a three-tier monitoring network with 440 hydrological stations in mountainous areas, backed by radar and rainfall monitoring systems. Flood forecasting lead time has been extended to over 12 hours, and authorities are developing a data platform to improve early warning precision and support emergency decision-making.