At least 9 die after hail and thunderstorms hit Dongguan
China's southern cities lashed by severe hail and thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms and heavy hail struck Dongguan on Wednesday - and are believed to have killed nine people and seriously injured two others.
There were also 134 cases reported of people with less serious injuries, state media reported, citing the Dongguan Municipal Health Bureau.
The bureau said these figures would be investigated further. Dongguan is an industrial city located in China's Pearl River Delta.
Many neighbourhoods in Dongguan were hit by thunderstorms packed with heavy rainfall, strong winds and hail, causing substantial damage to homes and vehicles. The storm caused the collapse of temporary buildings and regional power blackouts.
Maximum wind speeds were recorded at 49.1 metres a second, and the greatest precipitation of rain was recorded at 40.6mm in Dalingshan.
Witnesses likened the egg-sized hail to “stones falling from the sky” and said they “sounded like endless drumming.”
The Dongguan Municipal Meteorological Observatory issued an orange hail signal on Wednesday afternoon. Observatory chairman said that it was the first hail signal issued since the system was established in 2006.
