SAR fears eased in wake of Guangzhou killer twister

Tornadoes are generally less likely to occur in Hong Kong, according to weather expert Leung Wing-mo, but he said they are still possible and advised people to exercise caution, particularly by staying away from windows when one is seen forming.

This advice followed Saturday's incident in Guangzhou, where a powerful tornado struck, resulting in five fatalities and 33 injuries.

The tornado, which hit early afternoon, wreaked havoc and was accompanied by a hailstorm, the Guangzhou Meteorological Bureau said.

The twister persisted until 7pm and also damaged 141 factories, Xinhua News Agency said.

The tornado's impact was felt at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, with one of its terminals seeing a blackout and causing delays of more than an hour for around 70 flights.

Numerous social media users shared videos and photos of the tornado and hailstorm, which showed hailstones as large as fists falling on streets, hitting vehicles, puncturing metal roofs and shattering windows.

The Guangdong Meteorological Administration put the tornado's intensity at a strong three on a scale of five.

Leung, formerly an assistant director at the Hong Kong Observatory and currently a spokesman for the Hong Kong Meteorological Society, said: "The wind speed of the tornado in Guangzhou this time is comparable to or even greater than that of a super typhoon."

He said while Hong Kong might experience similar extreme weather events, the chance of it happening was low.

" Buildings here are generally designed to withstand tornadoes," he said, "but windows may not necessarily endure the impact. Temporary structures in the New Territories are particularly vulnerable to destruction and may see casualties in the event of strong tornadoes."

Former Hong Kong Institution of Engineers president Aaron Bok Kwok-ming said buildings here are constructed to withstand typical tornado wind speeds of 200 to 300 kilometers per hour.