Tornado in eastern China by Susan Powell
A tornado with wind speeds up to 65mph (approx. 100 kmh) has killed 14 people and injured more than 140 in eastern China. They are the latest casualties from the bad weather that has devastated parts of the country this summer. The tornado hit three villages around Tianchang in Anhui province, destroying more than 100 houses. The bodies of seven people have been recovered from the rubble.
Government officials said ‘Winds and heavy rain cut off power and telecommunications, ripped off rooftops and uprooted thousands of trees’.
Meanwhile floods caused by heavy rains continue sweeping large parts of the country. In northern China’s Shaanxi province, over 90 counties were flooded. Before the tornado hit, 18 provinces and major cities had been hit by floods and accompanying landslides, with over 200 people killed and several thousand houses destroyed.
Meteorologists in China have warned that heavy rain is set to continue and could lead to the Huai River overflowing onto the land. Experts say that the amount of rain that the province receives could be double the quantity typically expected at this time of year.
