Chinese authorities have told people weighing less than 110 pounds to stay indoors this week or risk being blown away by heavy winds. Gales of up to 93mph are expected to sweep through Beijing as a cold vortex is traveling southeast from Mongolia. Beijing’s meteorological service has issued an orange alert, the first in a decade and the second-highest in China’s four-tier weather warning system. Over 22 million people have been told to avoid non-essential travel, especially lighter people who are feared may be carried away by the gusts. Parks, tourist attractions and construction sites have closed, while thousands of trees across Beijing have been reinforced with protective material. Transportation has been disrupted, with 56 train services cancelled. China Southern Airlines even cancelled 31 flights.
