Alert issued as thunderstorms threaten capital area

Beijing issued a blue alert for potential geological disaster early Tuesday as thunderstorms are expected to lash the city, and at least 127 scenic spots in the capital were temporarily closed on Monday.

Beijing Meteorological Service and Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources jointly issued the blue alert at 4 am, warning people of mudflows, landslides and collapses in the city's mountainous areas in the next 24 hours.

From 3 pm Sunday to 2 pm Monday, the city saw an average of 35.4 millimeters of precipitation, with some areas in Huairou district experiencing over 239 millimeters, according to the weather service.

As of 12 pm, 127 scenic spots in remote mountainous areas were closed, including Shidu scenic area, Qinglongxia resort, Baihuashan scenic spot and the Huanghuacheng Great Wall area.

Local authorities have warned residents to keep away from rivers and mountainous regions, as well as areas with hidden dangers.

As of 7:15 pm Monday, Beijing Capital International Airport had cancelled 126 flights, and arranged 586 flights to leave and 685 flights to enter. Due to expected thunderstorms, scheduled flights at the airport will be changed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Xinhua contributed to this story.