Extreme Weather Strikes Sichuan, China
The direct economic loss was estimated to be 380 million yuan ($47.5 million), including 320 million in agriculture, he said.
The provincial government has allocated 1 million yuan and 100 tents for the disaster-stricken areas and has dispatched five working teams to guide the disaster relief work, the spokesman said.
Sichuan has seen abnormal weather in recent days with the temperature rising to 32 C, the spokesman said.
The local meteorological station forecasted thunderstorms and showers in most parts of the province from last night through this morning.
Further gales and hail in other parts of the province were expected.
In a related development, Northwest China's Qinghai Province was blanketed by dust during a large-scale sandstorm yesterday afternoon, according to the provincial meteorological station.
In most areas, the sky turned grey and visibility was reduced to less than 100 m, officials with the station said.
"The storm was caused by a cold front which developed from Xinjiang and moved eastward. It was the largest sandstorm to strike the province this year," a spokesman said.
According to a previous forecast by the China Meteorological Administration, northern and northwestern China should expect 11 to 15 sandstorms this spring.
China Daily-Xinhua