On the afternoon of August 7th, a tornado struck the Jinsheng Industrial Park in Jinxian, Gaoyao, Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province, lifting corrugated iron from roofs into the sky.
In videos circulating online, debris such as corrugated iron from rooftops was seen being lifted up by the tornado, causing a chaotic scene of flying objects. After the strong winds passed, some buildings in the area were damaged.
Local residents expressed their shock, with one saying, “Our store sign fell right in front of my eyes and hit a car. It’s the first time I’ve seen something so dramatic.”
On August 8th, residents of Jinsheng Town reported that they had never witnessed such strong winds before, with even the iron fences at their doorsteps being damaged.
The Deputy Mayor of Jinsheng Town mentioned that mainly the roofs of factories were lifted up by the tornado. They have requested nearby businesses to inspect for any potential safety hazards.
Eyewitnesses mentioned that the strong winds lasted for about two to three minutes. Once the wind strength reduced and things returned to normal, people started cleaning up the debris one after another. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.
On August 8th, after an on-site investigation by the meteorological bureau of Gaoyao District in Zhaoqing City, in collaboration with the Tornado Research Center in Foshan City, it was determined that a tornado of weak intensity occurred near the Jinsheng Industrial Park in Jinxian, Gaoyao, Zhaoqing around 3:12 pm on August 7th, with a preliminary assessment classifying it as a weak tornado.
In China, tornadoes are classified into four levels based on their intensity. Level one tornado is weak, level two is moderate, level three is strong, and level four is very strong.