7 dead, over 550 evacuated as wind, hail hit Jiangxi

Seven people lost their lives, and more than 550 were evacuated as strong wind and hail swept across Nanchang and Jiujiang in East China's Jiangxi province starting Sunday, said the provincial flood and drought control headquarters on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the capital city of Jiangxi province, Nanchang, faced severe weather conditions as red alerts for strong winds and hail were issued. It is the first time since 2011 that two red alerts have been issued within an hour on the same day.

More than 550 people in Jiangxi were evacuated to safety, and 263 were relocated on an urgent basis.

The disaster has affected crops over an area of 5,000 hectares. It flattened 44 houses and 192 houses suffered severe damage.

The direct economic loss is estimated to be 150 million yuan ($20 million), and it may rise as the authorities continue assessing and verifying the extent of the disaster.

Neighboring provinces, including Hubei, have also issued strong wind and rainfall alerts.

The China Meteorological Administration has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall for much of the country during the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday from Thursday to Saturday.