Beijing rains heaviest since records began 140 years ago

Deadly rains that pummelled China’s capital in recent days were the heaviest since records began 140 years ago, Beijing’s weather service said on Wednesday, as a massive cleanup operation began. Millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events and prolonged heat waves around the globe in recent weeks — events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change. And the Beijing Meteorological Service said the capital has just experienced the “heaviest rainfall in 140 years”, when city authorities started keeping records. “The maximum (amount) of rainfall recorded during this storm, which was 744.8 millimetres, occurred at the…