At least five people were killed and 33 injured when a tornado struck Guangzhou, a city of 19 million people in southern China, on Saturday.
Chinese state media, as well as a number of American media, write about this.
Tornado in China: what is known
According to local authorities, 141 factory buildings were damaged, but not a single residential building collapsed, Xinhua writes. According to preliminary estimates, the intensity of the tornado was three levels, which is two below the highest level of five.
Now watching
Guangzhou, located 130 km from Hong Kong, is the capital of Guangdong Province.
A weather station in Liangtian village, Baiyun district, a few kilometers from the site where the tornado hit, recorded a maximum wind gust of 20.6 meters per second, Xinhua writes.
As of 22:00 local time (17:00 Kyiv time), search and rescue operations were completed.
Tornado in Guangzhou: causes and consequences
The tornado followed days of torrential rain that lashed southern China, causing deadly floods and threatening tens of millions of people as rescuers evacuated residents trapped by rising waters.
Guangdong province, home to 127 million people, is facing widespread flooding that has forced the displacement of more than 110,000 people, Chinese state media reported, citing the local government.
Earlier this week, Chinese media reported that floods in Guangdong had killed at least four people.
The Pearl River Delta, China's manufacturing hub and one of the country's most populous regions, has been experiencing persistent heavy rain since April 16, with four weather stations in Guangdong recording record rainfall for April.
The Pearl River Basin experiences flooding from April to September each year, but the region has faced more intense rainfall and severe flooding in recent years as scientists warn the climate crisis will increase extreme weather, making them deadlier and more frequent .
The China Meteorological Agency warns that heavy rains and severe storms are likely to continue until the end of the month.
