The Chinese capital's heaviest rainstorm in six decades killed at least 37 people, flooded streets and stranded 80,000 people at the main airport, state media and the government said, according to Reuters.

The storm, which started at weekend afternoon and continued late into the night, flooded major roads and sent torrents of water tumbling down steps into underpasses.

The Beijing city government said on its official microblog at least 37 people had died, including 25 drowned, six crushed in collapsing homes, five electrocuted and one struck by lightning.

More than 500 flights were canceled at Beijing's Capital International Airport, the Beijing News added.

The subway system was largely unaffected by the floods but was swamped with people desperate to get home and unable to use cars, buses or taxis.

The city received about 170 mm (6.7 inches) of rain on average, but one township in Fangshan District to Beijing's west was hit by 460 mm (18.1 inches), Xinhua news agency said.

The Beijing city government said on its website it was working to get the metropolis back on its feet, and warned people to prepare for further bad weather. "The weather forecasters say that from late July to early September this city is prone to flooding, and there could be further large-scale storms or extreme weather," it said.