The strongest winds in decades triggered damage across northern and eastern China, killing a cyclist, grounding flights, shutting down tourist sites, and prompted emergency weather alerts across much of the country.
The cyclist, a 55-year-old woman from Anhui province, was killed on April 12 when she was struck by a falling tree amid a series of record-breaking gusts. She’s the only known fatality from the intense weather event.
From April 11-13, the winds reached a category that put their speed in excess of 167 kilometers per hour (104 miles per hour) in nearby Henan province, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), and broke several historical records across northern China.
“Wind speeds at some observation stations [were] approaching or even surpassing historical records for the same period since 1951,” said Lei Lei, chief meteorologist at the Beijing Meteorological Observatory.
The powerful winds were driven by a cold vortex, a large rotating mass of cold air sweeping in from Mongolia, Lei told national media.
Millions of people in Beijing were asked to stay home over the weekend to avoid the dangerous conditions. State media outlets warned that people weighing less than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) were especially at risk, as they may be “easily blown away.”
In cities across northern China, more than 800 trees were uprooted by the winds, crushing parked cars and disrupting power lines, according to state news agency CCTV. Thousands of emergency workers were dispatched to clear roads and debris.
On social media, videos show damaged buildings and people struggling to walk against the wind.
The windy weather persisted in northern China through April 14, particularly in Inner Mongolia and the Jianghuai region on the east coast, impacting areas with a high forest fire risk, the CMA warned.
Extreme weather also hit neighboring Mongolia over the weekend, where at least 130 families lost their homes in the western province of Govi-Altai, also due to strong wind.
Banner image: Damage from the wind pictured in Beijing. Image from 飞蟹子/Weibo.
