Powerful tornado hits China
A tornado hailstorm hit China's eastern Jiangsu Province which led to the destruction of buildings, causing 98 deaths. The tornado struck near the city of Yancheng on 23rd June afternoon, accompanied by torrential rain. The speed of winds reached up to 78 mph smashing telephone poles. The head of the provincial fire corporation told the state media that the search for survivors was over.
1998 Nothern China floods
In 1998, China was affected by a series of floods that lasted from mid June to September starting in Zehjiang , Fujian , Jiangxi , Hunan , Guangdong , and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. These floods led to a massive devastation, killing 3,704 people.
Heavy rains in China
Torrential rains damaged many provinces in China, resulting in the death of 10 residents and affecting nearly 8 lakh more. According to the Provincial Flood and Drought Relief Headquarters, the central province of Hunan was the worst affected region in China. Amongst the 5,00,000 affected, only 18,000 have been evacuated, while 4,000 need emergency supplies. The rain also disrupted the traffic on 41 highways.
Heavy storms and giant hailstones in Southern China
Giant hailstones and storms caused widespread destruction to property in Southern China. The natural disaster took 16 lives, causing landslides and floods in the province of Guangxi. Heavy rain and hailstones were expected to hit the parts of Guangxi again, as predicted by the weather department. According to the Civil Affairs Department of Guangxi, more than 2,000 hectares of crops were destroyed.
Weather analysis
During a 24 hour period between 19 and 20 June, 187 mm of rain fell in Wuhan ( Hubei province) and 138 mm in Jingdezhen ( Jiangxi province), according to the MCA .
Heavy rains and floods, as predicted
Chinese officials had warned about the recorded floods this year due to a strong El Nino weather pattern, which warms sea-surface temperature in the Pacific and has been linked to serious crop damage, forest fires, flash floods and droughts around the world.
