Chinese city hit by nearly year’s rainfall in one day, breaks 140-year record

An industrial city near Beijing received record rainfall, nearly an year's worth in a single day, prompting evacuation efforts.

According to The Independent, Baoding, a city located 150km from China’s northern Hebei province, received 447mm rain within a day, flooding the streets. Official records show that the region typically receives 500 mm of rainfall annually.

As a result of torrential rainfall, nearly 20,000 people were evacuated from 6171 households.

The Chinese Meteorological Department shared a video of deluge on social media which featured two policemen wearing neon rain jackets with their boots submerged in rainwater.

This is the first time in 140 years that the region has experienced so much rain. The forecast has compared the amount of precipitation to a 2023 typhoon induced rainfall in Beijing.

Unusual weather patterns are causing widespread shock as the provinces of Hebei, Shaanxi and Gansu have received twice as much rainfall in the past 30 days as it did during the same period last year.

According to the weather department’s climate bulletin, Hebei has received a record 640mm of rainfall this year, marking a 26.6 per cent increase over the decadal average.

In the first half of 2025, the excessive rainfall has caused at least 307 deaths and a financial loss exceeding $7.6 billion.