Severe hailstorms and thunderstorms have battered large parts of China since last Saturday, with the country's meteorological observatory issuing a blue alert for extreme weather for the following two days.
In the coming two days, thunderstorms, gales and hail will sweep parts of Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi, with the maximum wind speed reaching 17.2 to 28.4 meters per second, according to the National Meteorological Center.
Short-term heavy rains will lash parts of Hunan, Chongqing, Guangxi and Guangdong, with hourly precipitation ranging from 30 mm to 50 mm and reaching 70 mm in some areas, the meteorological center said.
China has a three-tier, color-coded weather warning system for severe convective weather, with orange representing the most severe warning, followed by yellow and then blue.
In southwest China's Guizhou Province, 22 county-level regions experienced hail, which lasted five to seven minutes in some areas between Saturday morning and Sunday morning, with the largest hailstone measuring 69 mm in diameter, according to the provincial weather authority.
In Huishui County of Guizhou, hailstones caused extensive damages to crops, such as rapeseed and corn on Sunday afternoon.
In east China's Jiangxi Province, the average precipitation reached 26 millimeters in 24 hours, according to the provincial meteorological authority.
In the provincial capital of Nanchang, gusty winds toppled greenhouses, trees and street lamps.
Meanwhile, heavy rains are still ongoing in many areas across Jiangxi.
Hailstones, thunderstorms batter large parts of China
