Severe weather and tornado warnings hit Guangdong as trains stranded in tunnels

Guangzhou and several parts of Guangdong province were struck by extreme convective weather on Sunday, bringing heavy rainstorms, hail, and potential tornado threats. Local meteorological bureaus issued orange hail warnings and rainstorm alerts across 23 cities and counties as a powerful storm system moved in from the direction of Zhaoqing and Foshan.

The severe weather caused significant disruption to the regional rail network during the afternoon. A high-speed train, D3665 traveling from Guilin North to Zhuhai, became trapped in a tunnel between Foshan and Guangzhou South station at approximately 2:00pm. 

Passengers reported a total power outage inside the carriages, leaving them stranded in sweltering conditions for over three hours. Railway staff reportedly prevented passengers from leaving the train or breaking windows while awaiting emergency instructions from the train master.

Guangzhou Railway later confirmed that the stoppage was caused by foreign objects being blown onto the overhead power lines by strong winds and a suspected tornado. The incident affected the Nanning-Guangzhou and Guizhou-Guangzhou high-speed lines, as well as the Guangzhou-Zhanjiang high-speed railway. Emergency repair teams were deployed immediately to clear the debris and restore power to the affected sections.

According to "Guangdong Weather," the intense weather system is expected to persist through March 31, with northern Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta regions bracing for continued heavy rainfall and gusts of up to 100km per hour. 

Railway authorities announced that power was successfully restored by 6:35pm, and train services are gradually returning to normal. Residents have been urged to stay indoors and seek shelter during the peak of the storms.