China warns people under 50kg to stay indoors: Here's why some were told they could be "easily blown away"

Beijing and parts of northern China were hit by extremely strong winds over the weekend, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations and train suspensions. According to a BBC report, millions of people were advised to stay indoors, with warnings that those weighing under 50kg could be "easily blown away".

By Saturday morning (11:30 local time), 838 flights had been cancelled at Beijing’s two major airports, as reported by Reuters. Train services, including the airport’s express subway line and some high-speed rail routes, were also suspended due to safety concerns.

Authorities closed several parks and historic sites, while older trees were trimmed or reinforced. Despite these efforts, nearly 300 trees were blown over. Some vehicles were damaged, though no injuries were reported.


The strong winds, reaching up to 93 mph (150 kph), are the strongest in over 50 years and are being caused by a cold vortex system over Mongolia. The winds are expected to last through the weekend. Spring dust storms are common in this region, but experts say climate change is making them more intense and dangerous.

The city issued an orange alert for strong winds, its first in ten years, with gusts reaching level 11 to 13 on China’s 17-level wind scale. According to the China Meteorological Administration, level 11 winds cause "serious damage", while level 12 means "extreme destruction".

One local resident told Reuters, “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.”

A businessman from Zhejiang province said his flight home 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.”

Conditions are likely to ease by Sunday, but officials continue to urge people to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

Inputs from agencies