Hundreds of flights cancelled as powerful winds batter Beijing

Strong winds battered Beijing and northern China on Saturday, causing widespread disruption with hundreds of flight cancellations and suspensions of train services.

By 11:30 am local time (03:30 GMT), 838 flights had been cancelled at Beijing's two major airports, according to Reuters.

The powerful gusts, reaching up to 93mph (150 km/h), are the strongest the Chinese capital has experienced in over 50 years.

These winds, which are expected to continue throughout the weekend, have led to the closure of popular attractions and historic sites, further compounding the disruptions.

Authorities issued a warning urging residents to stay indoors, with some reports suggesting that people weighing less than 50kg could be "easily blown away."

In addition to the flight cancellations, several train services, including the airport's express subway line and certain high-speed rail routes, have been temporarily halted.

Parks in the capital have also been closed, and while efforts were made to reinforce or trim older trees, nearly 300 trees have already been uprooted.

Damage to vehicles was reported, though no injuries have been confirmed.

Beijing’s residents largely heeded official advice to avoid non-essential travel.

"Everyone in Beijing was really nervous about it. Today, there are hardly any people out on the streets. However, it wasn’t as severe as I had imagined," said a local resident, speaking to Reuters.

A businessman from Zhejiang province was left stranded after his flight was cancelled.

"Because of the severe winds, all flights scheduled for last night and today were cancelled. So I will probably rebook my flight in a couple of days. I’m now basically stranded in Beijing," he explained.

The winds, originating from a cold vortex system over Mongolia, are expected to persist through the weekend.

This has prompted Beijing to issue its first orange alert for strong winds in a decade.

The strongest gusts are anticipated on Saturday, with wind levels expected to range from level 11 to 13 on China’s wind speed scale.

A level 11 wind can cause "serious damage," while a level 12 wind leads to "extreme destruction."

Conditions are expected to improve by Sunday.