Beijing's municipal weather observatory forecasts that thunderstorms will move through the city's urban districts between 18:00 and 23:00 on Saturday, according to 京报网. The same report says short bursts of heavy rain are likely during that window, accompanied by gusts of around Force 7.
A yellow lightning warning was issued for the capital, finance.sina.com.cn reported. Several districts also received yellow hail warnings as strong winds and heavy rain approached, according to 中华网.
Separately, blue rainstorm warnings were issued for Dongcheng, Xicheng and Chaoyang districts for Saturday night, 搜狐网 reported. 新京报 also reported that thunderstorms would develop from the evening into the night, with intense rainfall over short periods and gusts near Force 7.
The warnings point to a volatile few hours across Beijing's central districts, with lightning, hail, sudden downpours and strong winds all flagged as possible. Residents in the affected areas should expect conditions to shift quickly through the evening.
Authorities have not announced any further measures beyond the warnings. Watch for updated alerts from the Beijing Meteorological Observatory as the storm system moves through, particularly if warning levels are raised or extended beyond the 23:00 window.
