At least 12 killed after rare back-to-back tornadoes in eastern China
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated May 15, 2021 1:12 PM EDT
Peak tornado season starts in the spring, so it's important to be prepared and separate the facts from the potentially deadly myths.
The same city where the novel coronavirus was discovered nearly a year and a half ago was one of two cities hit by a rare tornado in eastern China late this week.
As of Saturday evening, local time, at least eight people have been killed in Wuhan, Hubei province, and another four in Shengze, Jiangsu province, after two tornadoes ripped through eastern China on Friday night, according to local officials.
A cold front pushing south across central and eastern China on Friday collided with a warm and humid air mass sitting over the country. This caused a band of rain and thunderstorms to spark along the front.
Debris hangs on a tree after a tornado ripped through Caidian district of Wuhan, Hubei province, China May 15, 2021. (cnsphoto via REUTERS)
Into Friday evening, local time, some of the storms became severe, producing torrential rain, damaging wind gusts and even a couple of tornadoes.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the first tornado spun up at around 7 p.m., local time, in Shengze, a city near Shanghai on the east coast of China.
There are reports of storm-damaged homes and factories in addition to knocking out power across the city, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The second tornado struck Wuhan, located about 250 miles (400 km) inland from Shengze, at around 8:40 p.m., local time, the AP reported. Winds of 52 mph (86 km/h) were also reported, adding to the damage in the city.
According to the Hubei Daily, 28 homes were destroyed by the twister and another 130 were damaged. A construction site in the city also sustained damage with sheds and two cranes shown twisted and broken by the storm.
A plant under construction is seen damaged after a tornado ripped through Caidian district of Wuhan, Hubei province, China May 15, 2021. (cnsphoto via REUTERS)
Economic losses are estimated to be at $5.7 million (37 million yuan), the Hubei Daily added.
According to research published by the Royal Meteorological Society, most of the tornadoes in China occur in the eastern portion of the country.
This makes sense for the area as there can be a bigger contrast in cool, dry air from Mongolia and northern China and warm, humid air from the South China and East China seas, said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
However, these ingredients do not come together as often as Tornado Alley in the United States, the tornado capital of the world. Across the U.S., the number of tornadoes averages between 1,250 and 1,400 each year, according to U.S. government statistics.
As warm and humid air starts to overspread southern and eastern China, the storm track is also shifting north, keeping the cooler and drier air over the northern part of the country.
Areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms lingered over these same areas of China on Saturday as the cold front stalled over the country. By Sunday and Monday, the front is forecast to push south and drier conditions will move into Wuhan and Shengze as recovery efforts continue.
One of the last tornadoes to occur in China raced through northeastern Liaoning in July 2019, killing six people. Another tornado killed eight the following month in the island of Hainan, the AP said.
The novel coronavirus disrupting life across the globe was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
At least 12 killed after rare back-to-back tornadoes in eastern China
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated May 15, 2021 1:12 PM EDT
Peak tornado season starts in the spring, so it's important to be prepared and separate the facts from the potentially deadly myths.
The same city where the novel coronavirus was discovered nearly a year and a half ago was one of two cities hit by a rare tornado in eastern China late this week.
As of Saturday evening, local time, at least eight people have been killed in Wuhan, Hubei province, and another four in Shengze, Jiangsu province, after two tornadoes ripped through eastern China on Friday night, according to local officials.
A cold front pushing south across central and eastern China on Friday collided with a warm and humid air mass sitting over the country. This caused a band of rain and thunderstorms to spark along the front.
Debris hangs on a tree after a tornado ripped through Caidian district of Wuhan, Hubei province, China May 15, 2021. (cnsphoto via REUTERS)
Into Friday evening, local time, some of the storms became severe, producing torrential rain, damaging wind gusts and even a couple of tornadoes.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the first tornado spun up at around 7 p.m., local time, in Shengze, a city near Shanghai on the east coast of China.
There are reports of storm-damaged homes and factories in addition to knocking out power across the city, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The second tornado struck Wuhan, located about 250 miles (400 km) inland from Shengze, at around 8:40 p.m., local time, the AP reported. Winds of 52 mph (86 km/h) were also reported, adding to the damage in the city.
According to the Hubei Daily, 28 homes were destroyed by the twister and another 130 were damaged. A construction site in the city also sustained damage with sheds and two cranes shown twisted and broken by the storm.
A plant under construction is seen damaged after a tornado ripped through Caidian district of Wuhan, Hubei province, China May 15, 2021. (cnsphoto via REUTERS)
Economic losses are estimated to be at $5.7 million (37 million yuan), the Hubei Daily added.
According to research published by the Royal Meteorological Society, most of the tornadoes in China occur in the eastern portion of the country.
This makes sense for the area as there can be a bigger contrast in cool, dry air from Mongolia and northern China and warm, humid air from the South China and East China seas, said AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman.
However, these ingredients do not come together as often as Tornado Alley in the United States, the tornado capital of the world. Across the U.S., the number of tornadoes averages between 1,250 and 1,400 each year, according to U.S. government statistics.
As warm and humid air starts to overspread southern and eastern China, the storm track is also shifting north, keeping the cooler and drier air over the northern part of the country.
Related:
Areas of heavy rain and thunderstorms lingered over these same areas of China on Saturday as the cold front stalled over the country. By Sunday and Monday, the front is forecast to push south and drier conditions will move into Wuhan and Shengze as recovery efforts continue.
One of the last tornadoes to occur in China raced through northeastern Liaoning in July 2019, killing six people. Another tornado killed eight the following month in the island of Hainan, the AP said.
The novel coronavirus disrupting life across the globe was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo