Strong convective weather causes extensive flight delays in China's Guangzhou

GUANGZHOU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Strong convective weather in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Saturday has caused extensive flight delays, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport said in a statement on Sunday.

Part of the lighting system in its Terminal 2 was temporarily cut off due to voltage fluctuations at a power station near the airport, which was caused by the strong convective weather, but it did not affect the airport's normal operations, the airport added.

As of 11:11 p.m. Saturday, a total of 70 flights were delayed by over an hour due to thunderstorms and heavy downpours, and the airport had launched a yellow emergency response for large-scale flight delays.

Meanwhile, a tornado hit Zhongluotan Town in the city's Baiyun District at approximately 3 p.m. on Saturday, causing five fatalities and 33 others injured as of midnight.

Experts say the tornado was caused by multiple meteorological factors, including the increasing intensity of warm and moist stream from the southwest of the South China Sea, warm and humid near-ground air and low-level jet over the preceding period.

The provincial meteorological observatory forecasts frequent precipitation in Guangdong in the next five days, with the possible occurrence of thunderstorms, gale, hail and other strong convective weather.