Tragic thunderstorms struck Nanchang, the capital of the Chinese mainland's Jiangxi Province, early Sunday morning, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuring more than ten others, local authorities reported.
Video footage circulating online captured the devastating impact, showing shattered windows and scattered glass around residential areas.
Local media sources indicated that during the extreme weather event, three people fell to their deaths from a high-rise building on Bayuehu Road in Nanchang County. The exact cause of these fatalities remains under investigation by the local public security department, as reported by China Daily.
The Jiangxi Meteorological Service's disaster reduction division confirmed that a severe rainstorm swept through the city in the early hours of Sunday. The strongest winds were recorded at a meteorological station in Nanchang County at 4 a.m., reaching speeds of 35.5 meters per second (127.8 kilometers per hour), according to Meng Minghua, chief forecaster at the city's meteorological center, as cited by Beijing News.
Meng explained that the downburst wind system, characterized by strong downward and outward-gushing winds from a central point, can cause rapid pressure changes that lead to windows bursting due to the sudden pressure differences.
He also noted that wind speeds can increase as they pass between closely situated buildings, a phenomenon known as the Venturi effect, which accelerates winds through narrow channels created by building structures.
The National Meteorological Center has updated its warnings, issuing a blue alert for torrential rain and a yellow alert for severe convective weather on Tuesday morning. China's weather warning system utilizes a four-tier, color-coded approach for strong winds, with red being the most severe, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.
Reference(s):
4 dead, 10 injured after severe thunderstorms in E China's Jiangxi
cgtn.com
