Storm, hail hit South China

A severe storm hit South China's Guangdong Province Thursday, knocking down houses, destroying farmland and cutting water supplies, according to an announcement by local authorities.

Twenty-five cities and counties witnessed heavy rain with a precipitation rate of 25 to 49 mm between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m., while the rate experienced by six other cities and counties even reached 50 mm during the same period, said Lu Shan, chief forecaster of the provincial meteorological center.

Some parts of the province were even hit by hail, Lu said.

Strong wind also hit the province. Northern Guangdong saw gusts of at least 70 km per hour and the city of Qingyuan experienced winds with a speed of 150 km per hour, Lu added.

As a result, in Qingyuan, 17 houses collapsed and 373.7 hectares of farmland were damaged. The local water supply was cut for eight hours due to damaged power pipelines, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

No casualties had been reported as of 7 p.m., the headquarters said.

Efforts have been made to clear up the potential hazards of toppled billboards, trees and buildings, the headquarters said.

The meteorological center predicts that heavy rain and strong winds are likely to hit the province again from Thursday night to Saturday.