Wind estimation around the shipwreck of Oriental Star based on field damage surveys and radar observations

Based on observational analyses and on-site ground and aerial damage surveys, this work aims to reveal the weather phenomena—especially the wind situation—when Oriental Star capsized in the Yangtze River on June 1, 2015. Results demonstrate that the cruise ship capsized when it encountered strong winds at speeds of at least 31 m s(−1) near the apex of a bow echo embedded in a squall line. As suggested by the fallen trees within a 2-km radius around the wreck location, such strong winds were likely caused by microburst straight-line wind and/or embedded small vortices, rather than tornadoes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11434-016-1005-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.