Beijing expecting one-third of its annual rainfall over next 24 hours

BEIJING - The densely populated Chinese capital of Beijing braced for the expected onset of more than one-third of its annual rainfall over 24 hours starting late on Tuesday as moisture from Typhoon Dolphin to the south converged with cool air over northern China.

From Tuesday evening through Thursday, most areas in Beijing will experience heavy downpours with a cumulative rainfall of over 100mm (3.9 inches) in 6 hours and more than 150mm (5.9 inches) in 24 hours, according to the city's meteorological service.

The cumulative rainfall in districts including Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, Mentougou, Huairou, and Fengtai may exceed 200mm (7.9 inches) in 24 hours.

That compares with Beijing's average annual rainfall of 528mm (20.8 inches), the bulk of which is concentrated in the months between June and September.

- Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger/Reuters