The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has sent three working groups to assist and guide flood control and disaster relief efforts in Beijing and Tianjin cities and Hebei province and has elevated the flood control emergency response for the areas to Level III — the third highest of the four-tier system — since Monday evening.

Severe rainstorms have swept North China since July 23, leading to high water levels in some reservoirs, breaches in river embankments and significant flooding. Beijing's Miyun and Huairou districts, as well as Chengde and Zhangjiakou in Hebei province were hit hard.

On Monday, the National Commission for Disaster Reduction activated a Level IV national emergency response, the lowest one, for Beijing and Hebei, deploying teams to provide guidance for disaster relief efforts, including ensuring the basic needs of affected people.

ALSO READ: 30 dead amid heavy rainfall in Beijing, rescue efforts ongoing

The central government has increased the allocation of 43,000 items of disaster relief supplies, including folding beds, towels, blankets, emergency lighting, on the basis of the previously allocated disaster relief materials to the affected areas.

The Red Cross Society of China provided 2,000 sets of household emergency kits and assisted the affected areas with food, drinking water, maternal and infant supplies and hygiene kits.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management allocated 350 million yuan ($48.8 million) to support rescue efforts in nine provinces, regions and municipalities including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Jilin and Shandong.

Beijing villagers rescue 100 amid floods 

Residents of a Beijing village organized rescue efforts using a digger to save around 100 people trapped after Monday's torrential rain flooded large areas, China Media Group's Voice of China program reported.

On Monday, severe rain inundated much of Putaoyuan village in Taishitun town, Miyun district, trapping residents.

Villagers organized themselves as soon as possible, using a loader to assist firefighters with rescue boats to evacuate those stranded and transfer them safely to a temporary shelter.

"We are all local residents, with loaders and boats at hand," said one villager involved in the rescue, standing next to a loader. "Some of us are excellent swimmers and know the area well."

The villager explained: "We organized the rescue ourselves. One person made three boat trips in this area, saving 17 lives. Another used the loader bucket to ferry people out about 10 times, rescuing more than 80 lives."

"The firefighters were unfamiliar with the terrain, so we guided them," he added.

Beijing suburban rail services suspended

Selected railway lines in Beijing were temporarily suspended on Tuesday after authorities urged the public to take precautions, as some areas are expected to experience heavy rainfall.

Beijing suburban railway lines, including the S2 Line, Huairou-Miyun Line, and Tongzhou-Miyun Line, were suspended on Tuesday, according to China Railway Beijing Group. Service suspensions also affected the S202 and S501 lines.

Meanwhile, some high-speed trains on the Beijing-Harbin High-Speed Railway were also temporarily halted on Tuesday as part of emergency safety measures, China Railway Beijing Group said.

The Beijing Meteorological Service downgraded its red alert for rainstorms, the highest level in its four-tiered system, to yellow at around 7 am on Tuesday, forecasting continued rainfall throughout the day.

Some parts of the city are expected to see precipitation of up to 50 millimeters per hour, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides, and mudslides in mountainous and low-lying areas.

All scenic spots have been closed, and evacuation measures are in place for tourists in affected areas.

Following Beijing's red rainstorm alert and the activation of the highest level I flood emergency response on Monday, the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) and National Museum of China have also closed temporarily.

Subtropical high drives heavy Beijing rains

According to an expert from the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, the recent heavy rainfall over the city is attributable to an unusual northward shift of the subtropical high-pressure system.

From Monday night to Tuesday morning, the city experienced intense downpours, with heavy rain affecting the entire area and parts of Fangshan district facing extreme storms.

Rainfall is expected to continue across most of Beijing on Tuesday, with some regions experiencing severe showers that could lead to localized torrential downpours.

As of Monday midnight, the average precipitation in the capital reached 165.9 millimeters, with the heaviest rainfall recorded in Langfangyu and Zhujiaoyu in Miyun district.

He Na, chief forecaster at the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, told Beijing News that since July 24, the subtropical high has remained abnormally north and stable, triggering frequent rains along its edge.

From July 24 to July 25, heavy rain fell citywide, and on the evening of July 26, northern areas faced extreme downpours. These events were driven by a warm, moist southwest airflow typical of subtropical monsoon rainstorms, said the forecaster.

On Monday night, Beijing was affected by a different weather system, a long trough of westerly winds moving from north to south. This system moved uniformly across the city, resulting in widespread rainfall, the expert explained.

According to statistics released by the observatory, since the start of the rainy season on June 1 until 8 am on Tuesday, Beijing has received 420.8 millimeters of rain. It is 74.8 percent above the average 240.7 millimeters for this period, and 84.4 percent more than the same time last year.

Beijing's meteorological authorities forecast that the current widespread heavy rain will gradually weaken and end by Wednesday, with intense showers shifting eastward.

Heavy rain in North China forecast to continue

Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Center reported heavy rain and thunderstorms in North China, with more expected through Friday.

The center has renewed orange alerts for heavy rainfall, the second-highest of the four-tier system, and yellow alerts for severe convective weather, the third highest, as of 6 am on Tuesday.

The center forecast that on Tuesday, areas including Hebei and Shandong provinces, as well as Beijing and Tianjin are expected to experience continued heavy to torrential rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, strong winds and potential hailstorms. Precautions are advised for flash floods, geological hazards, river flooding and urban waterlogging.

Through Friday, significant rainfall is predicted for Shaanxi, Shanxi, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, as well as parts of Guangdong, Fujian provinces and regions along the Yangtze River.

Some areas may experience heavy to torrential rain, with extremely heavy rainfall along with short bursts of intense rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and hailstorms, the center said.

Typhoon Co-may is approaching the eastern coast of China, prompting concerns about its impact and possible secondary disasters, the center said.

Typhoon Co-may is moving northwest and strengthening. Landfall is expected on Wednesday at coasts of Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. A blue typhoon warning was renewed on Tuesday morning, the lowest one of the four-tier system.