Line 5 subway was closed down yesterday for three hours as Beijing was hit with a late storm. Temperatures increased this week to around 35 degrees Celsius.

Rain flowed into the low-lying Chongwenmen Station and electricity was stopped for safety reasons.

Sand bags were place at the entrance of the station to prevent further flooding and services resumed at around 11 p.m. according to Xinhua.

Line 5 opened to much fanfare last year. Line 10 is due to open very soon.

The massive downpours resulted in rain water flowing into the underground subway coordination office in the low-lying Chongwenmen Station, a transit station for Line 2.

The subway company cutting electricity to the line for safety reasons, and the operation between the southern end of Songjiazhuang to the Lama Temple Station was suspended.

Sand bags and cotton quilts were piled up at the entrances where the water was coming into the station, and normal operation resumed at 11 p.m. after the water was stopped.

Line 5 was opened to the public in October last year and runs for 27 kilometers north-south across the city.

Operation of the other lines of the Beijing Subway were not affected.

The torrential rain also caused traffic jams in the city. Monitors at the municipal traffic administration showed lines of vehicles at some sections of the second and third ring roads in downtown Beijing even as late as at 10:35 p.m. on Friday.