Prepare for more hailstorms, China's southern provinces warned

Southern China was warned on Friday to prepare for more heavy rain and hailstorms after at least 25 people died when severe weather lashed five provinces, including a “super-tornado” in one city and egg-sized hailstones.

The extreme weather will continue until Sunday, the China Meteorological Centre said, after parts of the country were battered by huge hailstorms and heavy rain which caused widespread devastation and a ferry to capsize.

“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 meteorological centre said.

The storms began on Tuesday, but climaxed the following day when a ferry overturned in a river in the city of Nanping, in the south-eastern province of Fujian, killing 11 people.

Chinese newspapers on Friday showed images of overturned cars and flattened buildings from Dongguan, in Guangdong province in the south, the scene of nine deaths during the storm.

The city was hit by a “super tornado” on Wednesday afternoon, making it difficult for emergency response teams to react, the China Daily said, citing a local official.
Force eight winds swept through the area, the newspaper added.

Online news reports showed images of egg-sized hailstones and car windows smashed by the force of the storm. Other reports said the strong winds had caused a refrigerator to be blown from a store, narrowly missing a passing motorist.