A cluster of towering thunderstorms joined to form one massive and violent thunderstorm which caused boat carrying 458 people to capsize and sink on Monday. The severity of the thunderstorm was due the height of the storm cloud which rose to 40 to 50 thousand feet above sea level. The storm cloud was fueled by warm and moist air coming from the China Sea.
According to China Meteorological Administration the wind speed during the storm was equivalent to hurricane force winds. The winds reached over 120 kmph. According to local media agencies including China Daily a tornado had struck the boat. The tornado lasted for 15-20 minutes with a diameter of less than one kilometer. The thunderstorm not only has devastating winds but also dumped torrential rain amounting to over 65 mm in a span of one hour between 9 am to 10 am local time on Monday.
This thunderstorm developed during the storm season on the Yangtze River. This is the time of the year when such thunderstorms with tornados can occur. On Monday the conditions were right for the development of such a severe thunderstorm.
Bad weather is persisting since the accident which is hampering the rescue efforts. The outlook remains bleak as bad weather is likely to continue for the next few days.
Image credit: rt.com
