Supercell: rare type of storm recorded in China – 08/14/2023 – Science

A supercell-type storm formed in northwest China’s Xinjiang region on Saturday (12). In records of the phenomenon, it is possible to observe thick swirling clouds hovering over the ground, which caused the darkening of the sky.

Supercells are rare storms, but with great potential for danger because they involve strong air currents. They usually last a minimum of two hours and are associated with bad weather.

The supercell is considered the largest single-celled storm —those formed by only one storm cell. There are also multicellular ones, which bring together several cells during the meteorological phenomenon.

China has recorded a series of unexpected weather events in recent days. A landslide in the city of Xian, also in the northwest of the country, left at least 21 dead and six missing, the city’s emergency management authority said on Sunday (13).

The country also experiences exceptionally heavy summer rainfall. A video released by the official Xinhua news agency showed felled trees and debris piling up along muddy roads in a village, with houses and infrastructure damaged or destroyed.

The rains still pose flood risks for some cities, including Anshan County, where 17,859 people have had to leave their homes, according to CCTV, a state-run TV network.

Also causing disruption was the passage of typhoon Khanun, which hit parts of Japan and South Korea. It lost strength last Friday (11) when it hit Liaoning province, in northeast China.

In addition to Khanun, the country has recently faced Typhoon Doksuri, which hit northern China with torrential rains and flooding after making landfall on July 28.

Higher temperatures are also recorded in many parts of China amid an exceptionally wet summer.