Deadly Tornadoes and Severe Weather in China

BEIJING (AP) — At least 11 people have died and hundreds have been injured after multiple tornadoes struck central China’s Hubei province, state media reported Tuesday. The storms affected 14,600 people as several areas in the eastern part of Hubei were hit by thunderstorms on Monday night, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Over 330 individuals sustained injuries and one person remains missing. More than 20 houses were completely collapsed, and an additional 4,800 were damaged, Xinhua reported.

An unusual EF2 tornado tore through Huanggang city, damaging several buildings. A logistics company and a warehouse complex faced significant impacts as wind gusts moved trucks about 30 meters (98 feet), reported Xinhua.

A video shared by Shanghai Daily on platform X appeared to depict individuals on a building’s ground floor calling out as powerful winds forced open glass doors, shattering one of them.

According to China Weather News, which is linked to the China Meteorological Administration, tornadoes are typically observed in southern and coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangsu. Tornado occurrences in Hubei are rare, and remnants of tropical storm Maysak contributed to Monday night’s activities in the region, meteorologist Wang Xiaoling told Hubei Daily.

In southern China, authorities reported four fatalities in Hengzhou city with eight others missing, as record rainfalls tied to Maysak caused widespread flooding in Guangxi region, Xinhua stated.

More than 53,000 residents have been evacuated from Hengzhou, and an additional 8,000 individuals have been relocated in Binyang county, noted Xinhua. Guangxi issued a red alert, the highest level, for flooding on Tuesday. River levels rose up to 7.5 meters (24 feet) beyond warning levels, according to Xinhua.