Extreme weather in China

24 dead as tornado, hailstorms lash south China

At least 24 people died and scores were injured after a tornado carrying huge hailstones lashed southern China, causing widespread devastation and a ferry to capsize, domestic media reported Thursday.

Space Daily

21 March, 2013

The ferry overturned in a river in the south-eastern province of Fujian, causing the deaths of 11 people with four missing, web portal qq.com reported.

Nine people were killed in Dongguan, in Guangdong province in the south, according to the report. It showed images from the city of a car windscreen which appeared to have been smashed by egg-sized hailstones.

Many of the dead in Dongguan were trapped in collapsed buildings. Another 148 people were injured, including 11 who were critically ill, the report said.

The website put the death toll at 24, as did state-run news agency Xinhua.

Other provinces affected by storms and torrential rain on Wednesday were nearby Jiangxi, Hunan in central China and Guizhou in the southwest.

A total of 1.53 million residents have been affected by severe weather and 215,000 people were forced to relocate, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

More storms bringing rain, wind and hail are forecast for the south of the country over the next three days, Xinhua reported on Thursday night, citing the National Meteorological Centre.

Extreme weather to continue in China

Southern China has been warned to brace for more storms after extreme weather lashed southern China.

Damaged prefab houses lying on the ground after a tornado hit Yongzhou, central China's Hunan province (Credit: AFP)

Radio Australia,

22 March, 2013

Southern China has been warned to brace for more storms after extreme weather lashed southern China.

At least 24 people died and more than 100 were injured after heavy rain moved through five provinces and a "super-tornado" carrying huge hailstones hit one city.

The China Meteorological Centre says the severe weather is expected to continue until Sunday.

"All parts of southern China should take measures to be on guard against the negative influence of thunder and lightning, high wind and hail," the centre said.

The storms reached their peak on Wednesday when local media reported a capsized ferry in the city of Nanping in the south-eastern province of Fujian, causing the deaths of 11 people with four still missing.

Gale winds of up to 75 kilometres reportedly blew down 2,000 structures, damaging a further 248,000.

Nine people were killed in Dongguan, in Guangdong province in the south.

Online reports showed images from the city of a car windscreen which appeared to have been smashed by egg-sized hailstones.

Many of the dead in Dongguan were trapped in collapsed buildings.

Another 148 people were injured, including 11 who were critically ill, the report said.

State-run news agency Xinhua put the death toll at 24.

Other provinces affected by storms and torrential rain on Wednesday were nearby Jiangxi, Hunan in central China and Guizhou in the south-west.

A total of 1.53 million residents have been affected by severe weather and 215,000 people were forced to relocate, Xinhua said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs.