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The violent windstorm that tipped over a Chinese ferry boat carrying 458 people Monday evening originated from a towering group of thunderstorms that likely spawned a tornado.
The thunderstorms soared 40 to 50 thousand feet high in the atmosphere and were fueled by a very warm, humid stream of air from the China Sea.
Archived satellite imagery shows the unmistakable cluster of vigorous storms over Jianli County, where the incident occurred at 9:30 p.m. local time Monday along the Yangtze River:
Satellite image from 9:17 p.m. Monday night local time over area Jianli County, China where ship accident occurred (Wunderground.com)
The China Meteorological Administration says the storm reached level 12 on the Beaufort wind scale, which equates to wind of hurricane force, over 74 mph.
Many media outlets are reporting that a tornado struck the ship. China Daily says the twister lasted 15-20 minutes and was less than 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) in diameter.
The storm not only unleashed devastating wind gusts but also unloaded over 2.5 inches (64.9 mm) of rain between 9 and 10 p.m. according to China Daily.
The storm complex developed during the rainy season on the Yangtze river, when large thunderstorms are common and tornadoes can occur. But conditions on Monday were particularly favorable for damaging storms.
Simulations from the GFS model portray hotter than normal temperatures, lower than normal pressures and abundant low level moisture in the region – ingredients which heightened the risk for severe weather.
Above normal temperatures provided heat necessary to destabilize the atmosphere:
Difference from normal temperatures over China and India simulated by GFS model at 12 UTC Monday (WeatherBell.com)
Lower than normal pressures promoted rising air motions for storm development:
Difference from normal pressure over China and India simulated by GFS model at 12 UTC Monday (WeatherBell.com)
A deep plume of moisture originating from the China Sea helped energized the storms:
Total precipitable water, a measure of atmospheric moisture simulated by GFS model at 12 UTC Monday .(WeatherBell.com)
The turbulent weather pattern has persisted since the accident and is hampering rescue efforts and the search for survivors.
Courtesy of washingtonpost.com
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