Devastation in Guangzhou: An aerial view showing destroyed and damaged buildings in an affected area after a tornado hit. — CNS via AFP
Strong convective weather in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Saturday has caused extensive flight delays, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport said in a statement.
The weather caused voltage fluctuations at a power station near the airport, temporarily cutting off part of the lighting system at Terminal 2, but the airport added that this did not affect normal operations.
Thunderstorms and heavy downpours delayed some 70 flights by over an hour as of Saturday night, prompting the airport to implement a yellow emergency response for significant flight delays.
Meanwhile, a tornado hit Zhongluotan town in the city’s Baiyun district at about 3pm on Saturday, causing five fatalities and leaving 33 others injured as of midnight.
Multiple meteorological factors, including the increasing intensity of a warm and moist stream from the southwest of the South China Sea, warm and humid near-ground air, and a low-level jet over the preceding period, according to experts, caused the tornado.
The provincial meteorological observatory forecasts frequent precipitation in Guangdong in the next five days, with the possibility of thunderstorms, gales and hail. — Xinhua
