Watch: Tornado kills at least five people as it tears through eastern China

At least five people were killed and more than 80 were injured when a tornado ripped through eastern China on Friday, local authorities said.

The tornado struck during the afternoon in the eastern province of Shandong, about 330 miles south of Beijing, leaving significant damage in its wake.

Dramatic footage showed the tornado’s thick grey funnel swirling through the city, tearing the roofs from buildings and uprooting trees.

Other images and videos released by state media showed debris flying through the air, shattered windows and overturned cars.

More than 2,000 homes have been damaged, according to state media, and death and injury figures may still rise as the emergency response continues.

In general, true figures will likely be much higher as Chinese authorities tend to downplay the consequences of such events, including disasters and pandemics, over concern about stoking public criticism or dissent.

This latest tornado comes just months after one sliced through the southern city of Guangzhou in April, killing at least five people and injuring more than 30.

Extreme weather phenomena, including cyclones, tornados, heavy rains and heat waves have become more common around the world as a result of global warming.

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which causes global warming, and the country experienced its warmest year since 1901. It also noted concerns over extreme weather as a result of climate change in an annual assessment.