Beijing residents ride an electric motorcycle in the heavy rain on August 12, 2025. Beijing Meteorological Observatory issued multiple warnings, urging residents to take precautions against heavy rainfall and severe convective weather. Photo: VCG

Three people were killed and three others went missing after torrential rains starting from Monday hit several banners and districts in Ordos, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday, citing local authorities.

According to CCTV News on Tuesday, torrential rains hit Dongsheng district from Monday afternoon through the early hours of Tuesday, with maximum precipitation reaching 214 millimeters. Three victims were found deceased in floodwaters in Dongsheng in the early hours of Tuesday. Similarly, Dalad Banner experienced severe downpours from Monday to Tuesday. Three people remain unaccounted for in Dalad Banner, with search and rescue operations underway by relevant departments, the report said.

Xinhua reported that more than 700 rescuers have been dispatched to the site, urgently searching for the missing individuals in Urad Rear Banner of Bayannur City as the death toll from a flash flood that swept through a wild camping site in Inner Mongolia has risen to 10, with two people still missing.

A resident surnamed Hao in Wuyuan county in Bayannur City told the Global Times on Tuesday that her family's rural home was severely affected by recent heavy rains and floods - her aunt's crops were completely destroyed, with an entire year's harvest being wept out. The local government provided sheep and chickens as partial compensation for the affected households, Hao said.

China Meteorological Administration reported Tuesday that heavy rainfall occurred in parts of Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Guangdong, and Guangxi on Monday. Over the coming week, scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast for eastern Qinghai, central and eastern Gansu, northern Shaanxi, northeastern regions, north-central North China, and central-eastern Inner Mongolia, with some areas experiencing short-duration heavy precipitation, thunderstorm gales, or hail and other severe convective weather.

Also, China's national flood prevention and drought relief headquarters has dispatched two task forces to Beijing and Hebei respectively to assist and guide flood prevention and disaster relief efforts after the authorities decided to initiate a Level IV emergency flood response for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region at 8:00 am on Tuesday. 

According to meteorological forecasts, from Tuesday, parts of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will experience heavy to torrential rain, with some areas in Beijing, Tianjin, and central and northeastern Hebei expecting extremely heavy rainfall. The central meteorological observatory issued a blue rainstorm warning at 6:00 am on Tuesday.

Beijing's emergency management bureau raised the capital's geological disaster risk warning to orange on Tuesday noon.

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, areas in Beijing including northern and southeastern Miyun, central Huairou and northern Pinggu face a high risk of geological disasters including collapses, landslides, and mudslides, Beijing's emergency management bureau reported. Authorities urged the public to take precautions against potential geological disasters.

Starting from 3:00 am Tuesday, rainfall began sweeping across Beijing from south to north, with downpours reported in parts of Fangshan, Mentougou, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Haidian, and Chaoyang districts. 

As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, the city's average precipitation reached 12.9 mm, while urban areas recorded 26.2 mm. The highest rainfall was observed in Yanshan in Fangshan district (102.3 mm), with the most intense downpour in Xiangshan in Haidian (82.7 mm), Beijing News reported.

In response, Beijing has activated multiple weather alerts on Tuesday, yellow alerts for heavy rain, thunderstorms, and waterlogging; blue alert for strong winds; red alerts for heavy rain in Miyun and Huairou districts; orange alerts for heavy rain in Haidian and Shijingshan districts.

On Tuesday morning, Beijing also activated citywide flood control Level III emergency response.

A grassroots official in Miyun, told the Global Times on Tuesday that although the critical flood season has passed, local authorities are still maintaining 24-hour rotating shifts to respond to the current rainfall and are actively engaged in post-disaster reconstruction. 

According to the Ministry of Water Resources on Monday, the critical "July-August" flood season has ended, but its impacts were severe. During the critical flood prevention period of "July-August," two numbered floods occurred in major rivers, 330 rivers exceeded warning levels, including 77 surpassing safety thresholds and 22 hitting record highs.

Key characteristics included extreme rainfall, frequent typhoons, rapid flood surges, and heavier impacts in northern regions.

Officials of the Ministry of Water Resources stated Monday that during the flood season, northern China saw record-breaking floods. 18 rivers in northern regions exceeded historical records, accounting for 80 percent of nationwide cases. Meanwhile, drought conditions briefly emerged in Huanghuai, Jianghuai, and the Yangtze River basin but have since eased.