On April 16th, strong thunderstorms with winds reaching levels 8 to 10, along with hail, affected 10 provinces in China. Among them, the Fuzhou area in Jiangxi experienced thunderstorms with wind speeds equivalent to a typhoon making landfall.
The Central Meteorological Observatory continued to issue a yellow alert for severe convective weather at 6 a.m. on April 16th. It was predicted that from 8 a.m. on the 16th to 8 a.m. on the 17th, parts of Gansu, Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, and Guangxi would experience winds of 8 to 10 levels, along with thunderstorms and hail, with localized areas even reaching above level 11.
Some areas in Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, and Guangxi experienced short but intense rainfall, with localized hourly rainfall exceeding 70 millimeters. The primary impact period of severe convection was predicted to occur from daytime to nighttime on the 16th.
In particular in Jiangxi, the provincial meteorological observatory issued simultaneous orange alerts for heavy rain, strong winds, and thunderstorms. The Fuzhou Dongxiang experienced a thunderstorm with winds reaching level 12 (35.9 meters per second) around 10:20 a.m. on the 16th, breaking the local record for the highest gusts (30 meters per second). This land-based wind speed is rare, comparable to a typhoon making landfall.
The Jiangxi Meteorological Observatory reminded the public to be vigilant against short but intense rainfall, thunderstorm winds, hail, and other severe convection weather conditions.
Netizens in Jiangxi commented on the situation:
“Nanchang has been hot and humid around 30 degrees these days, and suddenly thunderstorms and showers are back.” “Why do strong winds always occur in Jiangxi, is it because of Mount Longhu?” “Wasn’t Jiangxi recently hit by bad weather, why is it happening again?”
“It’s scary to live in a high-rise building, beware of another tragic event of people being swept away.” “Humans have been recklessly destroying the environment, this is nature’s retaliation against mankind.”
In the early hours of April 16th, the Chongqing Meteorological Observatory also issued 6 strong convective weather warnings, with many areas expecting thunderstorms with winds above level 8, accompanied by thunder and lightning, short but intense rainfall, and localized hail.
86 rainfall stations in 13 districts and counties in Chongqing experienced heavy rain, with some towns witnessing gusts exceeding level 8, reaching up to level 12.
Local netizens’ videos showed strong winds toppling residents’ roofs and air conditioning units falling to the ground.
In Sichuan, Yibin and Luzhou experienced thunderstorms on the night of April 15th, accompanied by localized hail, gusts between levels 7 and 9, reaching level 10 in some areas.
From April 16th to 19th, the Sichuan Basin will experience a significant cooling and rainy weather process, with the average temperature dropping by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius. From the 17th to the 19th, most parts of the basin will see moderate to heavy rain, with some areas in the northeast and south expecting heavy rain.
On April 16th, the Guangdong Meteorological Department stated that the northern part of the province, including cities and counties in the north of Zhaoqing, would experience cloudy to overcast skies turning into moderate to severe thunderstorms, with thunderstorm winds between levels 7 and 10, short but intense rainfall, and occasional small hail.
Other cities and counties would have a mix of cloudy and overcast skies, with some areas experiencing showers; there might be light fog in the mornings and evenings in the north and east of Guangdong. Daytime temperatures are expected to range between 29°C and 32°C, with some regions like the Leizhou Peninsula seeing temperatures between 32°C and 34°C.