On the afternoon of July 5th, tornadoes struck several areas in Shandong, China. Among them, Dongming County in Heze City was hit by a strong tornado. Videos circulating online showed cars being swept away, roofs and walls of houses being blown off. The latest reports indicate that the tornado in Dongming County has resulted in at least 1 death and 79 injuries.
The videos shared on July 5th revealed the sudden and intense tornado that hit Dongming County, Heze City in Shandong. The footage captured a massive tornado lifting debris into the sky, creating a chaotic scene of destruction. In some clips, the tornado picked up cars and flung them into the distance, while also blowing off roofs and walls of numerous buildings. Trees were stripped of their bark by the powerful winds, leaving bare trunks, cars smashed, and utility poles toppled.
In the evening, the Dongming County Emergency Management Bureau reported that tornadoes had hit the Guanjie Street, Caiyuanji Town, and Shawo Town areas of Dongming County. This unfortunate event has led to the death of at least one person, with 79 others sustaining injuries of varying degrees.
According to the “China Weather Enthusiasts,” the tornado occurred around 3 p.m., described as a strong “supercell” thunderstorm with intense rotating updraft winds that passed over Dongming County in Shandong. The tornado traveled from west to east through densely populated areas of Dongming County.
The Dongming County Meteorological Observatory issued a lightning orange warning signal at 2:12 p.m., indicating that Yiwu Street and Guanjie Street had been affected by lightning activities in the county. They warned that other towns and streets could be affected by lightning activities from the afternoon to the night, increasing the likelihood of lightning disasters.
China Weather Network reported that on July 5th, tornadoes were suspected to have occurred in various parts of Shandong. Meteorologist Shen Yuyang explained that tornadoes in Shandong are relatively rare. Data from 1991 to 2010 shows that Jiangsu has the highest average number of tornadoes per year at 4.8, while Shandong only averages 1.5 tornadoes annually.
Furthermore, on the morning of July 5th, the China Meteorological Administration issued a yellow warning for severe convective weather. From 2 p.m. on July 5th to 2 p.m. on July 6th, parts of southern Liaoning, northern Shanxi, northern and eastern Henan, central and northern Jiangsu, and other regions are expected to experience severe thunderstorms, strong winds of up to level 8, or hail.
Specifically, some areas in central and northern Shandong and southwestern Shanxi, among others, may face thunderstorm winds exceeding level 10, reaching up to level 11, with the possibility of isolated tornadoes.