Beijing has warned residents in all city districts to brace for a new round of heavy rainfall, telling them to avoid going out. 

This follows catastrophic floods that killed dozens in the deadliest deluge to hit the Chinese capital since 2012, where 79 people died.

Fangshan District was the worst-hit, with one resident reporting a rise in floodwaters of 1.3 metres in just 10 minutes.

The warning comes as authorities rush to reinforce ageing flood defences and update evacuation plans after bodies were pulled from raging flood waters across the country, including three at a flooded wellness camp in Hebei province. 

Beijing recorded a total of 44 people who died from July 23 to 29.  

Most of the deceased were people unexpectedly trapped by rapidly rising waters at a nursing home in Miyun district on the city’s northeastern outskirts. 

The fatalities led authorities to admit to shortcomings in their contingency plans for extreme weather. 

By noon today, Beijing had placed all its 16 districts on the highest level of preparedness. 

The authorities say that the risk of flash floods and landslides is extremely high.   

China’s state news agency Xinhua reported that, as of Saturday, torrential rains that swept through “Beijing Valley” claimed three lives, with four still missing. 

On July 27, around 40 people gathered for an event at the site, where organisers directed them into tents pitched on low-lying land next to a river bend. 

By 2 AM on the next morning, floodwaters had risen to knee height, forcing attendees to scramble towards the camp’s only exit. 

The site bore similarities to Camp Mystic in Texas, where 28 children were swept to their deaths last month by floodwaters after the Guadalupe River burst its banks amid torrential rain. 

In Guangdong, five bodies were recovered over the weekend, after a large-scale search operation involving more than 1 300 rescuers. 

The five people who went missing on Friday night were swept away by water following heavy rainfall in recent days.