Tornado kills 5 in Guangzhou, Chinese city hit by recent rains
Five people were killed and several factory buildings were damaged when a tornado struck Guangzhou, the economic hub of southern China, on Saturday.
The local government said the tornado struck around 3 p.m. and hit Baiyun district, a northern suburb of the city, injuring 33 others. This lasted for about four minutes. Hail of about 2 inches diameter also fell in some parts of the city.
Videos shared by Chinese official media showed transmission towers and power lines burning and debris swirling in the air, against the backdrop of a giant funnel that darkened the afternoon sky.
Guangzhou, a sprawling city of 19 million people and a manufacturing and technology hub, has been hit by heavy spring rains this month. Thousands of people had to be evacuated last week due to floods in Guangdong province, of which Guangzhou is the capital.
According to the Guangzhou government, the influx of warm, humid air from the South China Sea has caused “a large amount of volatile energy” to accumulate near the ground.
A total of 141 factory buildings were damaged by the tornado and fresh rain, officials said. Guangdong meteorological officials said the tornado was a level 3 out of 5, indicating wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph.
State media said search and rescue operations had ended by Saturday evening. But officials warned that torrential rain, heavy winds and lightning were likely to hit Guangzhou in the coming days, as China prepares for the five-day Labor Day holiday starting on Wednesday.
A video shared by the Guangzhou government reminded residents not to go out in heavy hail, or to wear a helmet if they must.
The brown waters of the Pearl River flow through the center of Guangzhou, much of which is at very low level and has a long history of flooding.
The city has made extensive efforts over the past few decades to improve its resistance to floods, which have long accompanied heavy rain storms in late spring.
In recent years, according to Municipal Corporation rules, new apartment buildings should have shops and not apartments on the ground floor. Its goal is to reduce the risk to human life during floods.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Guangzhou during an official visit to China earlier this month. The city recently hosted the Canton Fair, a major trade exhibition.
keith bradsher contributed reporting, and amy chang chien Contributed to research