Torrential rain and strong winds hit western Hubei Province early on Tuesday, destroying parts of the power grid and causing massive blackouts, according to local sources.

Some 1,000 workers from other power firms in the province were sent to Dangyang, a county-level city in Yichang, to help repair power infrastructure destroyed in Tuesday's bad weather, said a source from Hubei Provincial Power Company.

Between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Dangyang, northeast of Yichang, was struck by torrential rains, strong winds, and hailstones. The city had 60 millimeters of rain in the storm, said local meteorological service.

Parts of power and telecom grids were destroyed, including the destruction of 41 transformers and 54 power transmission lines, the toppling of 1,417 electrical poles, and power was cut to 100,000 enterprises and homes.

Power supply is expected to be back by midnight on Wednesday, according to Yao Taihe, general manager of the Power Supply Company of Yichang City.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2008)