Tornado-Like Storms Strike China, Alaska and Guam in One Bizarre Week
Christy Bowen
7 hours agoThe week in weather got off to an odd start with tornadic activity reported in unlikely places. Here is a look at where twisters have spun up in recent days.
Rare Tornadoes Spin Up in China and Guam
Tornadoes can take root nearly anywhere where thunderstorms are happening. However, that does not make what happened this week any less bizarre.
The first unusual tornado formed late Sunday and into Monday in Huanggang, China. Coming to life in Hubei province, about 50 miles east of Wuhan, this tornado killed at least 11 people after it roared through a populated metropolitan area.
The Chinese tornado packed winds ranging between 150 and 170 mph, putting it on the border between an EF3 and EF4 event as defined by the Enhanced Fujita Scale. According to Chinese storm chaser Eric Wang, this tornado was the deadliest in China since a 2.5-mile-wide monster hit the city of Funing in June of 23, killing 98 people.
Meanwhile, a completely unrelated storm produced a tornado on the island of Guam on Monday morning. This tornado came out of Supertyphoon Bavi, a tropical weather event that packed wind gusts of over 150 mph. Bavi generated a rash of tornadoes and waterspouts as it approached the Northern Mariana Islands.
While officials are still waiting for official confirmation from the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) in Tiyan, this would be Guam's first official tornado in history. The good news is that the twister hit a rural location on the island, mitigating the potential damage. In addition, it will be challenging to determine if the damage was specifically caused by a tornado or the overall impacts of the major typhoon.