Severe floods hit typhoon-damaged Beijing

Roads turned to dangerous rivers Monday in Beijing, sweeping away cars and large metal road signs as Typhoon Doksuri dumped record rainfall on the city of nearly 22 million.

Videos posted on social media showed scenes of fast-moving water rushing through the city with muddied waves crashing against city bridges. In the typically buzzing and crowded city, the streets appeared deserted as few citizens risked the torrential downpour and floodwaters outside.

At least two people were killed in the floods, according to state media, and hundreds are still trapped in their homes.

With winds reaching around 150 mph, Doksuri was designated a “super typhoon” last week when it drenched the Philippines, killing more than a dozen people.

The National Meteorological Center on Sunday issued a rare red alert for the capital, China’s highest extreme weather warning, as millions brace for heavy rainstorms in the coming days.

Chinese state media reported that a half-million people had been evacuated from the southeastern Fujian province. More than 31,000 people were reportedly evacuated from the capital by Sunday night.

Many others are trapped in homes and vehicles stranded on roadways. Video published by Beijing Fire Douyin showed firefighters wading through surging knee-high floodwaters to rescue people trapped in a car.

The storm covered more than 85,000 square miles, potentially affecting 130 million people, according to China’s National Meteorological Center.

Local authorities posted statements on WeChat citing several other emergencies, including landslides and small-scale flash floods.

Considered one of the most formidable storms to reach China in recent years, Doksuri’s downpour represents another extreme for a country that also experienced record heat waves in its northern provinces this summer.

Despite ousting the United States as country emitting the most greenhouse gas annually, Chinese officials have been slow to enact environmental legislation, preferring to address climate change on their own terms.

Forecasters warned Monday of a second extreme storm with the strength of a Category 4 hurricane, Typhoon Khanun, which is set to batter China’s coast this week.

Khanun is the sixth typhoon projected to hit China this year.