Fierce winds blew away a basketball hoop from a school playground in central China.

The video was filmed in the city of Xinxiang in Henan Province on May 15.

Influenced by a strong cold air mass moving southward and coupled with intense convective activity, from 20:00 on May 14th to 8:00 on May 15th, widespread strong winds of 8 to 10 levels were recorded north of the Huaihe River in Henan Province, with localised areas experiencing gusts of 12 to 13 levels in the northwest of Xinxiang, the west of Zhengzhou, and the north of Xuchang.

Chief forecaster Xu Wenming of the Henan Provincial Meteorological Observatory analysed that the strong winds were due to the combination of high temperatures in the preceding period, resulting in significant unstable energy.

On May 14th, temperatures across Henan Province ranged from 32 to 35 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the presence of a high-level cold trough guided the southward movement of strong cold air masses, leading to rapid southward advancement of a cold front at ground level.

This phenomenon triggered strong winds and convection in Henan, resulting in the convergence of cold air winds and convective winds, thereby intensifying the overall wind force.

The video was provided by local media with permission.

5月15日凌晨，河南新乡遭遇极端天气，狂风骤起，将一所学校操场上的篮球架吹跑。
5月15日，河南省气象局召开新闻发布会，针对夜间的大风天气发生的原因及监测情况作出详细通报：受较强冷空气南下，叠加强对流效应，5月14日20时至15日8时，河南省淮河以北出现大范围强风天气，大部出现8到10级大风，新乡西北部、郑州西部、许昌北部局部12到13级。
河南省气象台首席预报员徐文明分析称，此次风力较强的原因是前期气温较高，有较强的不稳定能量。14日河南全省最高气温普遍为32到35度；而另一方面是因为高空冷槽引导强冷空气南下，地面冷锋快速南压，在河南造成大风并触发对流，冷空气大风和强对流大风叠加导致风力较强。