Strong winds sweep North China again this week, triggering multiple warnings and emergency responses across several provinces. On Sunday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) maintained its orange warning for gales. It also continued blue warnings for blizzards and sandstorms.
This marked the fourth day of consecutive weather alerts. The NMC said powerful winds and dust storms would persist through Monday. The storm has already impacted transportation, power infrastructure, and public safety in several regions.
North China, including Beijing and Inner Mongolia, has been especially affected. Gusts have reached force 11 or higher in many areas. Some mountainous zones even experienced gusts above force 12, according to meteorological officials.
The strong winds sweep North as part of a powerful cold air mass. It collided with rapidly warming temperatures from last week. This mix caused intense convective weather, including dust storms, blizzards, and record wind speeds.
The Beijing Meteorological Bureau said that between Friday evening and early Sunday, 509 of the city’s 573 weather stations reported winds of force 8 or higher. Among these, 350 stations recorded force 9 winds. Sixteen stations even registered wind speeds from force 12 to 14.
Beijing issued an orange wind alert on Thursday. It marked the capital’s first such warning in a decade. Authorities renewed the alert across Friday and Saturday as conditions worsened.
Transport services suffered major disruptions. Rail services between Huairou and Miyun districts, Tongzhou and Miyun, and the S2 line all shut down on Sunday. Flights also faced delays and cancellations across Beijing airports due to poor visibility and turbulence risks.
According to VariFlight, over 3,200 domestic flights were canceled by Saturday noon. That figure set a new 2025 record for cancellations in a single day.
Meanwhile, strong winds sweep North and affect provinces like Shanxi and Henan. Officials reported damage to rooftops and windows in multiple cities. In Tianjin, fallen trees triggered over 550 emergency cases by Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, no injuries or major road closures were reported.
Maintenance crews in Tianjin completed 66 rounds of billboard inspections. They addressed 120 potential safety hazards to prevent further incidents.
In East China’s Fujian Province, ferry routes and water-based projects came to a halt. Officials suspended 77 passenger ferry routes and halted 97 construction projects. Hainan also stopped all passenger ships across the Qiongzhou Strait.
The financial toll continues to grow. By Saturday at 5 p.m., Beijing’s financial regulators reported more than 500 insurance claims. These included 297 auto claims totaling 1.88 million yuan in damages. Agricultural and other property claims added more losses.
Social media showed the storm’s human impact as well. A Meituan delivery driver in Wuhu, Anhui Province, was hit by falling tiles. He was hospitalized after being knocked unconscious.
Ma Jun, director at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, called the event “one of the strongest in decades.” He praised the accuracy of early forecasts and emergency actions, which helped reduce potential damage.
Even so, Ma warned about air quality. Dust and particles from the storm worsened pollution levels across affected areas. He noted that although southern China sees typhoons often, these northwest-driven storms are rare and highly destructive.
As strong winds sweep North, residents and authorities remain on high alert. The NMC expects conditions to ease after Monday, but long-term climate patterns may bring more surprises ahead.
