On the afternoon of September 20th, Typhoon “Pulsa” made a U-turn in Jiangsu and headed northeast, bringing heavy rain clouds back over Shanghai. This led to a short but intense downpour in Shanghai, causing a brief tornado in Qingpu.
Typhoon “Pulsa,” the 14th storm of the year, brought record-breaking rainfall to Shanghai, the highest in 46 years within 6 hours. Yesterday morning, some areas in Shanghai experienced flooding on roads and severe water accumulation in metro stations. Photos on social media showed passengers stranded at the entrances of Shanghai Metro stations due to water accumulation, particularly at the Yuqiao Station. It wasn’t until 10 a.m. that the water was finally drained at the station.
After passing through Shanghai yesterday afternoon, Typhoon “Pulsa” made a sudden U-turn, triggering a short-lived tornado.
Many netizens shared photos and videos of a tornado near Wanda Plaza in Qingpu, Shanghai. The images showed a clear tornado forming against the gray sky.
At 4:06 p.m., the Qingpu district meteorological office confirmed that a tornado occurred around 3:45 p.m. in Xiyang Street, south of Qingnan Jinyuan in Qingpu district, involving the City Nan Village Road and the G50 Huyu expressway City Nan Village Bridge.
Regarding the cause of the tornado, Jiang Man, chief forecaster of the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau, explained, “The weakening and dissipation of the typhoon left small-scale vortices in the boundary layer, combined with ample unstable energy, creating the potential for tornado formation.”
At 6:29 p.m., the Qingpu district flood control command reported that the tornado near City Nan Village Road in north of the G50 Huyu expressway had dissipated without casualties or building collapses. Due to the Chinese Communist Party’s tendency to conceal disaster information, the actual extent of the damage remains unknown.
The tornado caused panic among locals in Shanghai, leading many to express their astonishment online, “I never expected to see a tornado in Shanghai in my lifetime.” Some described the ominous sky before the tornado and the sudden downpour. Reports of pets being swept away by the tornado were also shared, adding to the sense of chaos and disbelief.
“It felt like a scene from a disaster movie.” “I used to see tornadoes only in American TV shows, never expected it to be right behind my home.” “The thunder yesterday was near my school; I felt like I was going to be struck dead.” “It’s terrifying.” “It feels apocalyptic.” “I’m in Hongqiao, it feels like the sky is leaking.” “My colleague in Qingpu was too scared to go home.”
Some commented on the unusual weather patterns, saying, “Is Shanghai poking a hole in the typhoon nest this year?” “It’s either typhoons or tornadoes these days, it’s terrifying.” “One storm after another, and they’re even turning! Frequent extreme weather is not a good sign.”