By Laurie Chen

BEIJING (Reuters) -During last month’s deadly floods in Beijing, rural hotel owner Cui Jian and his guests spent the night stranded on a rooftop in torrential rain before rescuers battled through metre-high mud and silt to get to them the next day.

Beijing’s mountainous northern Huairou district and neighbouring Miyun district received a year’s worth of rain in a single week, triggering flash floods that devastated entire villages and killed 44 people in the deadliest flood since 2012.

The authorities’ most serious weather warning came too late for most villagers in Huairou, who were already asleep by the time it was issued.

“In the past, they closed scenic areas and campsites, evacuated tourists and relocated villagers. If you warn people in time, good, but if not, it’s

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