Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Two powerful tornadoes tore through central China’s Hubei province on Monday evening, July 6, 2026, leaving at least 11 people dead, one missing, and over 330 injured.
Strong winds flipped cars, ripped roofs off buildings, and scattered debris across several cities in a rare and violent weather event.
A tornado is a fast-spinning column of air that reaches from a thunderstorm cloud down to the ground. It can cause sudden, intense destruction in a narrow path.
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In Hubei, winds reached up to 149 kmph, strong enough to match severe cyclonic gusts often seen in India’s coastal storms.
Eyewitness videos showed swirling winds whipping through streets amid lightning and heavy rain.
EXTREME EVENT IN INDUSTRIAL REGION
Hubei, home to major car manufacturing and tech industries along the Yangtze River, rarely sees tornadoes.
Provincial weather expert Wang Xiaoling told local media that such events are extremely uncommon here, with the last recorded tornado in May 2021, news agency Reuters reported.
Meteorologists link this outbreak to “severe convective weather”.
It’s a sudden, powerful thunderstorm fed by unstable warm air, moisture, and changing wind patterns, possibly worsened by broader climate trends and nearby typhoon activity.
The storms hit cities including Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou, and Xianning between 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).
Level 13 gales on the Beaufort scale, deemed very destructive winds, affected dozens of townships. Nearly 4,800 houses were damaged or collapsed, thousands of trees uprooted, and vehicles crushed. Around 14,600 people were directly affected.
RESCUE EFFORTS UNDERWAY
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out efforts” in rescue and relief.
Over 3,000 personnel worked through the night, evacuating residents and clearing rubble. Power has been restored in most areas, but full damage assessment continues.
This disaster comes as China faces multiple extreme weather challenges.
A landslide in Gansu province left others missing, while Super Typhoon Bavi is approaching Taiwan and eastern China, threatening heavy rains.
Experts warn that rising extreme weather events, driven by climate change, are increasing economic losses across China through floods, heatwaves, and storms. For residents in vulnerable areas, staying alert to official warnings remains key.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
