Sharjah24 - WAM: Preliminary assessment has indicated that the intensity of the tornado that struck Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, on Saturday reached the level of a strong tornado, Guangdong provincial meteorological bureau said on Sunday.

According to a report by China Daily, the bureau has assembled a group of specialists to perform on-site disaster assessments and undertake an initial investigation along the tornado's path of over 1.7 kilometres. The widest impact span was approximately 280 metres, the report stated.

The tornado, which mainly hit the city's Baiyun district at about 15:30 CST on Saturday, has caused five deaths and 33 other injuries.

Meanwhile, a total of 141 factory and residential houses were destroyed or damaged by the disaster, according to a statement released by Guangzhou's Baiyun district.

The tornado, accompanied by downpours, hailstones, thunder and lightning, also caused blackouts in Zhongluotan and Taihe townships in the district, affecting many local electricity users.

The statement said this year's tornado appeared when the warm and humid airflow from the southwest of the South China Sea continued to strengthen, transporting a large amount of water vapour and energy to Guangzhou.