You should have been here tonight. Hell on earth. Torrential thunderstorms, floods, chaos and countless would-be Friday-night partyers frantically waving for available taxis that never came. I stood there for about 45 minutes, then ducked into a restaurant to eat, came back out and finally just gave up and walked home in the downpour. My shoes will probably disintegrate from the effluent I had to walk through.
I have to say, I hadn’t seen Beijing look that crazed and anarchic since the SARS days. What will happen if there’s a similarly cataclysmic thunderstorm during next month’s Games, with those millions of visitors in town? Not something I want to think about.
1
By Ryan
Is this 4 Friday evenings in a row? All at basically the same time…
July 5, 2008 @ 12:42 am | Comment
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By Raj
The summer is one reason I decided (some years ago) not to live in the Far East.
July 5, 2008 @ 6:52 am | Comment
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By Jeremiah
I just got home at 4:53 PM, looked outside and saw the deluge hit and all I could think about was the total end-of-the-world chaos that was going to ensue in the CBD. Commuting in the rain is never easy, but I’ve never lived in a city that can come as easily unglued in a rainstorm as Beijing,
July 5, 2008 @ 7:31 am | Comment
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By Brendan
Personally I find torrential rains like last night’s to be a feature of Beijing, not a bug — there’s something really soul-satisfying about a downpour of that magnitude. I actually grabbed an umbrella and went out for a walk in it, once I’d finished my work for the day.
This happens every summer — you may recall a couple of thunderstorms last year that totally shut down the north Fourth Ring at Anzhenqiao and left people sitting in traffic for a couple of hours while their bosses from New York hyperventilated. I don’t think it’s a big risk during Game Time, though, as TPTB will be seeding the clouds all around Beijing specifically to induce rains away from the city.
I have to say, I hadn’t seen Beijing look that crazed and anarchic since the SARS days.
Check out Carrefour on a weekend when they’re having a sale on cooking oil.
July 5, 2008 @ 9:02 am | Comment
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By Michael Turton
The summer is one reason I decided (some years ago) not to live in the Far East.
Yes, I miss the Kenya Highlands — summers in the 80s, winters in the 60s. Although the Taiwanese seem to be a bit more phlegmatic about rain, probably because we get so much of it.
I don’t think it’s a big risk during Game Time, though, as TPTB will be seeding the clouds all around Beijing specifically to induce rains away from the city.
Really? Not irony? Great idea.
Michael
July 5, 2008 @ 10:19 am | Comment
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By Richard
Yes, Taiwan deals with the rain way better than Beijing – and Taiwan (or Taipei, at least) has those not-so-attractive but highly practical buildings that hang over the sidewalks so you can walk block after block without getting wet. What a great idea.
Brendan, don’t stir up old memories! Yes, I remember the apocalyptic summer rain. But I wasn’t out in the middle of it looking for a taxi; I had a bus waiting for me. I love Mother Nature when she throws a fit, and in HK I would walk around in the occasional typhoon for fun. It’s less fun when you’re weighed down by a laptop and a gym bag, wearing a dress suit that’s turning into a sponge, knowing you will have to miss that Friday night party you promised to get to, and knowing you are, almost literally, up shit’s creek.
July 5, 2008 @ 10:53 am | Comment
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By pfelelep
it’s been raining for a month and half in Hongkong.
dunno about beijing but it’s a very strange summer we have this year.
2008 is promised to be bad for china, mediums said.
July 5, 2008 @ 2:10 pm | Comment
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By shulan
Apart from the thunderstorm: Is it still starting to rain every day at around 7 pm? I am not in beijing anymore but at the end of June it rained every evening at the same time for about ten days. Is that normal for beijing in summer? Or did they hire some rain makers?
July 5, 2008 @ 4:03 pm | Comment
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By Raj
It’s less fun when you’re weighed down by a laptop and a gym bag, wearing a dress suit that’s turning into a sponge, knowing you will have to miss that Friday night party you promised to get to, and knowing you are, almost literally, up shit’s creek.
I know where you’re coming from. I was in Japan one summer and took refuge under a small “shelter” of some sort in a park. The problem was that the rain wouldn’t stop and that it would take some time to get back to the transport system. So I eventually had to go – got really soaked.
It was fun in a way, especially after a hot shower. But it isn’t what you want to do more than once.
July 5, 2008 @ 5:35 pm | Comment
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By Karen
My sentiments exactly, last night’s rainfall was the worse I’ve seen in the 6 months I’ve been here. Granted I am a newbie, my local family members tell me this is NOT normal. All I could think about was, “Is this the result of cloud seeding? And if so, what are the repercussions? But I am sure the powers that be have already thought that through (doubt it, but hey its worth the thought)”
I refuse to go anywhere when it rains in Beijing for fear of the inevitable consequences of being stranded on an island street divider. However, last night I was only stuck waiting for 30 mins.each time and all 2 cab drivers I encountered (the 3rd just didn’t want to work but still stopped for me) told me they were planning on going home because of the rain. One of them told me he couldn’t SEE well in this weather (I know what your thinking, we were too desperate to jump out), but was doing us a favor and a duty to their country in the spirit of the Olympic games.
Looks like we’ll just have to adjust to the climate change. I’m off to buy me a heavy rain coat and comfy rain boots…
July 5, 2008 @ 8:32 pm | Comment
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By Richard
Shulan, this June has been like what you describe, while last June, to the best of my memory, wasn’t nearly as wet. There were storms, but for the past few weeks rain has been the norm here.
Karen, how true – Beijing can deal with lots of things, but not rain. Or snow. The few times I’ve seen it snow here the city was nearly paralyzed.
July 5, 2008 @ 10:51 pm | Comment
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By ecodelta
Maybe they just used too much of that experimental stuff they are supposed to be testing to trigger rain from clouds…
July 6, 2008 @ 11:29 pm | Comment