Damage after the tornado in Suqian city, Jiangsu province, eastern China, September 20, 2023. (Credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty images)
Ten people were killed after two tornadoes tore through two cities in China’s eastern Jiangsu province.
It’s the latest deadly extreme weather event to hit the country, which over the last few months has been grappling with severe floods as well as extreme heat waves.
Five people were killed and four were severely injured from a strong tornado that struck Suqian city in Jiangsu province on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The province lies on China’s eastern coast.
Accordung to CCTV, more than 130 houses were destroyed in the city.
In a related news, an even stronger tornado left five people dead and four with minor injuries Tuesday night in Yancheng – which lies southeast of Suqian city and north of China’s biggest city, Shanghai – CCTV said, adding that 129 people have been relocated.
Buildings damaged by the tornado in Suqian, pictured on Wednesday. (Credit: Stringer/AFP/Getty Images)
Tornadoes are not usual in mid to late September in Jiangsu, but rare tornadoes have happened due to recent higher temperatures that have brought strong weather conditions, state media Beijing Youth Daily reported, citing meteorological experts.
Scientists are confident that extreme weather events will only become more frequent and more severe unless the world stops burning planet-heating fossil fuels.