Hundreds of flights canceled in China as strong winds hit the capital

Hundreds of flights were canceled and train lines were stopped when Gales struck Beijing and northern China on Saturday.

At 11:30 local time (03:30 GMT), 838 flights were canceled at the two major airports of the capital on Saturday, according to the Reuters Agency.

Wind gusts up to 93 miles / h (150 km / h) – the strongest in the Chinese capital for more than half a century – will continue to continue over the weekend, forcing the closure of attractions and historical sites.

Millions have been called to stay indoors on Friday, with some state media warning that people weighing less than 50 kg can be “easily exploded”.

Train services, including the airport metro line and some high -speed rail lines, have been stopped. The parks were also closed, with some old trees reinforced or trimmed in preparation, but almost 300 trees had already fallen into the capital.

A number of vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were reported – in Beijing, most residents followed the authorities to remain indoors after the city warned 22 million residents to avoid insignificant trips.

“Everyone in Beijing was really nervous about it. Today, there are hardly people on the street. However, it was not as difficult as I imagined,” a local resident told the Reuters Agency.

While a businessman from the province of Jedjiang had canceled his flight.

“Due to the strong winds, all the flights scheduled for last night and have been canceled today. So I will probably reserve my flight in a few days. I’m at the heart of Beijing now,” he said.

Strong winds come from a cold vortex system over Mongolia and are expected to continue over the weekend.

Beijing released his first orange signal for strong winds for a decade with the strongest winds expected on Saturday.

China measures the wind speed with a scale that passes from level 1 to 17. Wind of level 11, according to the Meteorological Administration of China, can cause “serious damage”, while the level of the level 12 carries “extreme destruction”.

Winds are expected to range from level 11 to 13 this weekend, with conditions expected to be facilitated until Sunday.