After three consecutive days of warnings, China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) has maintained its orange-level alert for strong winds and blue-level alerts for sandstorms and blizzards as of Sunday. The extreme weather has affected multiple regions, prompting local governments to enact precautionary and emergency measures.
According to CCTV News, the NMC reiterated its orange gale warning and issued blue alerts for sandstorms and heavy snow early Sunday. Parts of northern China are being hit by powerful winds, with gusts exceeding force 11 in some places. The central and eastern parts of Inner Mongolia are bracing for heavy snowfall, including blizzard conditions, while areas such as Xinjiang in the northwest are seeing sand and dust storms.
On Thursday, the center had issued a yellow wind alert, which was upgraded to orange in Beijing — the capital's first such alert in a decade. The orange-level warning remained in place through Friday and Saturday.
Between Friday evening and early Sunday morning, wind speeds reaching force 8 or higher were recorded at 509 out of 573 weather stations across Beijing. Among these, 350 stations logged winds above force 9, and 16 recorded gusts between force 12 and 14, according to the Beijing Meteorological Bureau.
In China, wind strength is measured on an 18-level scale, with winds of force 11 or above being particularly rare over land and typically confined to high-altitude areas.
Beijing is expected to continue experiencing high winds through Monday due to a cold air mass, with gusts ranging from level 9 to 11 and potentially exceeding level 12 in mountainous regions.
Due to the hazardous conditions, several train services in Beijing — including lines connecting Huairou, Miyun, and Tongzhou — were suspended Sunday.
The Air Traffic Management Bureau also warned of possible disruptions at airports in Beijing and surrounding areas, urging passengers to check flight updates regularly.
In Tianjin, authorities responded to more than 550 reports of fallen trees by Saturday afternoon. No injuries or road closures were reported. City maintenance teams conducted multiple rounds of inspections, identifying over 120 safety hazards involving signs and billboards.
Elsewhere, in Shanxi and Henan provinces, reports surfaced of rooftops and windows being blown away. By Saturday, over 3,200 domestic flights had been canceled — the highest single-day total this year, according to VariFlight.
Maritime transport was also impacted. In Fujian, all but one of the 77 ferry routes were halted, along with 205 ferries. In Hainan, all roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries across the Qiongzhou Strait were suspended, and all 97 marine construction projects were stopped.
The strong winds caused property damage and injuries in several areas.
Between Friday and Saturday afternoon, more than 500 wind-related insurance claims were filed in Beijing. These included nearly 300 auto claims, totaling an estimated 1.88 million yuan (approx. $257,000), and other claims related to agriculture and property damage, according to the National Financial Regulatory Administration.
One widely shared video showed a delivery worker from the Meituan platform lying unconscious after being hit by falling tiles during the storm in Wuhu, Anhui Province. The individual was hospitalised, according to Beijing Daily.
"This wind event is extraordinary in both strength and scale — likely the most intense and widespread in decades," said Ma Jun, head of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs. Between Friday and Saturday, nearly 500 national weather stations reported record April wind speeds.
Ma explained that the sudden clash between a strong cold air mass from Siberia-Mongolia and rapidly rising temperatures earlier in the month created conditions ideal for severe wind and dust storms.
He noted that early warnings were effective in minimising damage, although the dust carried by the wind significantly worsened air quality.
While southern China often deals with typhoons, Ma emphasised that such powerful northwestern winds and accompanying dust storms are relatively uncommon.
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