On August 4, Beijing warned residents in all inner-city districts to prepare for a new heavy rainstorm, while advising residents to stay away as dangerous weather risks.
The warning comes a week after dozens of people died in the deadliest flooding in Beijing since 2012.
Forecasters warn that up to 200mm of rain could fall in many areas of Beijing within 6 hours of noon on August 4. The city of 22 million recorded an average of 600mm of rain per year.
At least 44 people have died in Beijing following heavy rains from July 23-29. Most of the people died because they were suddenly trapped when the water rose rapidly at a nursing home in Mat Van district, a northeastern suburb of the city.
By noon on August 4, Beijing had put all 16 districts in the city in the highest standby state, partially closed the Ly Truong Thanh National Park and other outdoor entertainment facilities, and temporarily suspended business activities in the underground space.
The authorities warned that the risk of flash floods and landslides is "extremely high".
In the summer of 2012, 79 people died in Beijing in the deadliest flood on record. Beijing's Phong Son District was hit hardest, with floodwaters rising 1.3 meters in just 10 minutes.
Beijing's terrain has been described as a "rain trap", with mountains in the west and north retaining moist air and causing increased rainfall.
The entire city of Beijing is ready for storms as Chinese officials are racing to strengthen flood prevention systems, enhance weather forecasting capabilities and update evacuation plans for flooding across the country.
As of August 2, heavy rains have swept through the "Beijing Valley" - a riverside health resort in Thua Duc city, Hebei province, bordering Beijing. The disaster took the lives of 3 people, 4 people are still missing, according to Xinhua.
About 40 people gathered on July 27 to attend an event at the resort. The event organizers guided the participants to tents set up in low-lying areas next to a section of the river.
At 2:00 a.m. on July 28, floodwaters rose to the knees, forcing participants to flock to the only exit of the camp.
The area has many similarities to the flash flood at Mystic Farm in Texas, USA. At least 28 children attending the summer camp at Mystic Farm died last month when the disaster occurred due to the Guadalupe River breaking its banks due to heavy rain.
In southern China's Guangdong province, the bodies of the five people were found over the weekend after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1,300 rescue workers. 5 people went missing on the night of August 1 due to being swept away by water after heavy rain, Xinhua reported on August 3.
