Vehicles are in flood in Beijing's Fangshan district, July 17, 2015. (File photo/Chinanews.com)
(ECNS) -- There have been 31 cases of rainfall in Beijing since the start of this year's flood season, an increase of 20 percent on the same period last year, with abnormal weather caused by El Nino expected to continue.
The capital's flood season began on June 1 and in the past 50 days it has been hit by strong downpours at least 31 times. The average rainfall for the period has been 181.9 mm, close to past levels, though rain frequency has been 20 percent higher.
Yao Xuexiang, director of the Beijing meteorological bureau, said the El Nino climate phenomenon will continue and become stronger as the city has already been hit by lingering smog during late June, unusually high temperatures in mid-July, and unevenly distributed rainfall.
Beijing's flood season features alternative appearances of thunderstorms, smog, high temperatures, and drought, according to Yao.
