Hailstone Kills 24 Across China

At least 24 people have been killed and hundreds have been injured after a series of terrifying hailstorms hit China.

Officials have also confirmed that millions of dollars worth of damage has occurred and hundreds of houses have collapsed.

Xinhua News Agency stated that 24 people were killed in the Chinese city of Dongguan in the souther Guangdong province of the country.

The hailstorm hit on Wednesday afternoon, leaving 272 other individuals injured. A day earlier, in the nearby Hunan province, three people died and around 2,000 houses collapsed. It has also been reported that a ferry capsized due to the weather.

China’s Meteorological Administration has declared that this severe weather would continue over the next few days. Southern China has been particularly disrupted since the beginning of the week, where thunderstorms, hurricanes, and hailstorms have ravaged the area.

The administration added, “All parts of southern China should take measures to be on guard against the negative influence of thunder and lightning, high wind and hail.”

This wild combination destroyed the region, whilst winds went as fast as 110 miles an hour. These hailstones were reportedly the size of golf balls and eggs, and they smashed through windshields and broke windows.

Dongguan city officials confirmed that this was the strongest tornado to ever hit city. Estimations have stated that around 215,000 people were evacuated from their homes and it is expected to cost around $200million in economic loss.

It is thought that heavy and continuous rainfall might trigger a huge landslide and mudslide over the next few days.

Last April, the midwest suffered their own bizarre spate of weather after Nebraska was hit with baseball-sized hail which damaged vehicles, shattered windows, and even tore the siding from homes. Oklahoma and Kansas were also hit by tornadoes in this time too.

What are you thoughts on the extreme weather that has hit China?