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Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and trains suspended as gales hit Beijing and northern China on Saturday. <\/p>\n
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 news agency Reuters.<\/p>\n
Wind gusts of up to 93mph (150kph) – 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. <\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Train services, including the airport’s express subway line and some high-speed rail lines, have been suspended. <\/p>\n
Parks were also shut, with some old trees reinforced or trimmed in preparation – but almost 300 trees have already fallen over in the capital.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
“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 Reuters. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a businessman from the Zhejiang province, near Shanghai, had his flight home cancelled. <\/p>\n
“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. <\/p>\n
The strong winds are from a cold vortex system over Mongolia and are expected to last through the weekend. <\/p>\n
Winds bringing sand and dust from Mongolia are routine in spring, but climate change can make storms stronger and more severe.<\/p>\n
Beijing issued its first orange alert for strong winds in a decade, with the strongest winds expected to arrive on Saturday. <\/p>\n
China measures wind speed on a scale that goes from one to 17. A level 11 wind, according to the China Meteorological Administration, can cause “serious damage”, while a level 12 wind brings “extreme destruction”.<\/p>\n
The winds this weekend are expected to range from level 11 to 13, with conditions expected to ease by Sunday. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n