Authorities in the Chinese mainland have issued multiple weather alerts as the country prepares for a wave of extreme weather conditions, including strong winds, severe thunderstorms, blizzards, and sandstorms.
On Saturday morning, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) renewed an orange alert for strong winds, a yellow alert for severe convective weather, a yellow alert for blizzards, and a blue alert for sandstorms.
From 8 a.m. on April 12 to 8 a.m. on April 13, strong winds of force 5 to 6 are forecasted in parts of northeast China and the Sichuan Basin. Regions including Inner Mongolia, northwest China, north China, and the Huanghuai area are expected to experience even stronger winds of force 6 to 8, with gusts reaching force 9 to 11. Some areas, such as central Inner Mongolia, northern Shanxi, northern Hebei, and the mountainous regions of Beijing, could see gusts of up to force 12 to 13.
These intense winds are anticipated to continue into the next day. From 8 a.m. on April 13 to 8 a.m. on April 14, winds of force 5 to 7 are expected to sweep across northwest China, Inner Mongolia, north China, the Huanghuai and Jianghuai regions, and parts of northeast China, with gusts reaching force 8 to 9. Gusts may escalate to force 10 to 11 in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Beijing.
Severe thunderstorms, accompanied by gale-force winds and hail, are predicted in parts of south China between April 12 and April 13. Areas including southern Jiangxi, northeastern Guangxi, and northern Guangdong may experience thunderstorm gales exceeding force 10, with peak gusts surpassing force 11. Short-term heavy rainfall is also expected, with hourly precipitation exceeding 50 mm, potentially reaching over 60 mm in southern Jiangxi, central and northern Guangdong, and northeastern Hainan. The most intense period of severe convection is anticipated from Saturday morning to noon.
Blizzards are forecasted in parts of Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the western Sichuan Plateau from April 12 to April 13. Some areas in eastern Inner Mongolia and southeastern Jilin may experience heavy blizzards, with snowfall reaching 20 to 28 mm. Newly accumulated snow depths could range from 5 to 15 cm, locally exceeding 20 cm.
Due to strong winds driven by cold air, dust storms are expected in parts of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and the Sichuan Basin. Localized sandstorms may occur in southern Xinjiang.
In Beijing’s Mentougou District, wind gusts equivalent to force 13 were recorded, accompanied by a significant wind chill. The Beijing Meteorological Service has issued an orange alert for strong winds, anticipating average wind speeds of force 6 and gusts reaching force 9 to 11 in the plains. In districts such as Yanqing, Changping, Mentougou, Fangshan, Huairou, Pinggu, and Miyun, gusts may reach force 11 to 13, and exceed force 13 in mountainous areas. Strong northerly winds are expected to persist on April 13, gradually weakening by Monday afternoon.
The extreme weather has already begun to disrupt transportation. Flights and passenger trains have been suspended, and expressways shut down in affected regions. According to the China Railway Beijing Group, 56 train services were temporarily halted on Friday, with 103 services scheduled to be canceled on Saturday.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has issued an early-warning response for severe convection across 13 provincial-level regions, including Hubei and Hunan, due to strong winds, sandstorms, and intense convective weather in the central and eastern parts of the country. The emergency response level for forest and grassland fires has been raised from Level IV to Level III.
China operates a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. Authorities are urging residents to stay updated on weather conditions, secure loose objects, and take necessary precautions to ensure safety.
