Tornado in Guangzhou, China leaves 5 dead & 33 injured
On 27 April, a tornado killed 5 people and injured 33 in Guangzhou, China.
The phenomenon was accompanied by hail and heavy downpours which caused significant damage to the city in southern China.
The China Meteorological Agency issued warnings of continued heavy rain until the end of the month.
Freak storm hits Guangzhou
Last Saturday (27 April), heavy storms hit Guangzhou. At around 3pm, a tornado accompanied by hail and heavy rain hit the southern China metropolis, causing devastating damage throughout the city.
Source: @shanghaidaily on X
According to China Daily, more than 140 buildings were destroyed, including factory and residential structures.
The city’s infrastructure, including its electric poles, was also heavily damaged. Nearby towns similarly experienced extended blackouts.
Source: @shanghaidaily on X
Hailstones around the size of an egg or larger damaged cars and broke windows in multiple districts throughout the city.
South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the storms caused flight cancellations at Guangzhou’s airport. Stranded passengers posted photos and videos of the facility flooding due to leaks in the ceiling.
The tornado came amidst multiple days of heavy rain that caused severe flooding within the region. According to CNN, more than 110,000 people have been forced to relocate as a result of the floods.
Clean-up underway
China Daily reported that search and rescue efforts were “basically completed” by early Sunday (28 April) after work was done throughout the night.
Source: @PDChina on X
China Southern Power Grid also sent over 300 emergency repairmen and 45 vehicles to repair the damaged electric equipment.
More storms may come
Despite the recovery efforts, the worst may not be over yet.
Guangdong’s meteorological bureau has issued warnings of heavy storms in the coming days. The bureau also urged the government to introduce measures to cope with weather-related disasters.
People were urged to be cautious when travelling during the May Day holidays this week.
The storm is part of a string of extreme weather hitting Guangzhou, including when the city hit 100% relative humidity in March, per SCMP in a separate report.
Also read: 3 people fall to their deaths after strong winds blow them out of high-rise apartment in China
3 people fall to their deaths after strong winds blow them out of high-rise apartment in China
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Featured image adapted from Xinhuanet.
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