When it rains, it pours.

Myself and the other 20 million Beijingers awoke on Saturday to grey skies and heavy rain. Deciding it would soon clear ("Surely it can't keep this up for long!"), my boyfriend and I enjoyed some downloaded TV and discussed where to go on our hard earned day off. The Museum of China won our vote and bags were packed. Two cups of coffee and two episodes and of "The Restaurant Inspector" later, the downpour continued and the puddled street had developed a distinct flow. Still hopeful, we opted for a quick lunch at home and threw some frozen jaozi in the steamer. Amazingly, it just didn't relent, not even a little. We marvelled at the scene from our 6th floor window and were glued to the window whenever a pedestrian went by and allowed us to use their legs as measuring sticks to assess the depth of the water. Soon a car crashed and blocked the main road and as the lightning got brighter, the thunder louder and the sky turning a sickening yellowy grey, the mood turned apocalyptic. Searches of China Daily’s website and general googling revealed nothing and we could only imagine what might be happening on the streets out of our view.

It wasn't until the following day, when the skies were innocently blue and barely any puddles remained, that I became aware of the seriousness of the situation. Colleagues told of 5 hour long journeys home, of wading through thigh deep water to reach the subway and of badly leaking ceilings. Photos soon emerged of cars floating around like soap suds and manholes that were transformed into deadly, swirling plug holes for the city’s excess water. The current death toll stands at 37. People were crushed in collapsing buildings, drowned in underpasses and some were electrocuted as live cables fell into the flood waters. Absolutely terrifying. My thoughts are with the families of those whose lives were so suddenly lost to the storm.

Perhaps its the enormity of Beijing, but despite the fact that I live here,  it stills just feels like something on the news. Something happening in a faraway place. There was so little sign of any damage around this part of the city and life continues as normal. More heavy rain and storms are forecast over the coming week, as Beijing hits its very own rainy season. So its time to go and buy some cheap welly boots, keep a brolly on one's person at all times and it seems the safest thing to do if possible is just stay indoors and batten down the hatches.