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Natural or Man-Made? Giant Mushroom Cloud Appears Over Beijing

Jun. 18, 2012 8:25am

A couple days after residents in central Chinese provinces received warnings they should stay inside due a mysterious yellow-grey haze, a giant mushroom shaped cloud has also been spotted in the sky over Beijing.

(Related: Is this mysterious, yellow haze in China really from burning straw?)

Officials said last week the haze was the result of burning straw — an illegal but still practiced activity. The June 14 cloud on the other hand is reported to be a natural phenomenon created by clouds typically associated with thunderstorms.

Here are a few photos of the cloud from China Daily:

Mushroom Cloud Seen Over Beijing Associated With Thunderstorms

Mushroom-shaped cloud over Beijing. (Photo: China Daily)

Mushroom Cloud Seen Over Beijing Associated With Thunderstorms

(Photo: China Daily)

Mushroom Cloud Seen Over Beijing Associated With Thunderstorms

(Photo: China Daily)

This video on YouTube is allegedly of the cloud as well:

Let’s hope the explanation suffices. That’s because some citizens of the Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu provinces witnessing the haze (not the cloud) criticized the government’s explanation and two were arrested for spreading rumors the haze was the result of a chemical plant malfunction.

(H/T: Inquistr)

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Comments (221)

1 2 3 … 6
  • Frodo RinosBane
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:45am

    I remember the good old days when we used to pile all the brush from the woods in a pile and light it on fire. NEVER remember seeing a mushroom cloud. I’m sure the official story is true.

    Report this comment

    Frodo RinosBane  
    • Texas Chris
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:00am

      You see these over big cities. I’ve seen it in the summer over Houston, Tx.

      These also come off the Western Sahara and blow out over the ocean, seeding hurricanes for the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in the US/Mexico.

      Man-made? Perhaps… But not like weather control, more like a natural cooling reaction to a hot-spot on the earth’s surface, be it a city or a desert.

      Report this comment

      Texas Chris  
    • G-WHIZ
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:14am

      Ohh, Yeah! Geta huge onion and a gargantual headda-lettuce. I feel a giant sallad commin’ on!!

      Report this comment

      G-WHIZ  
    • hotteamakers
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:40am

      Did they have an Broken Arrow accident? Is their any radiation?

      Report this comment

      hotteamakers  
    • LetUsReason
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:45am

      Interesting. I have not seen a cloud like this one before. Is that lightning in the first picture?

      Report this comment

      LetUsReason  
    • DDD
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:57am

      I’ve seen these types of clouds around Mt. Rainier here in Washington State. Just google venticular clouds.

      Report this comment

      DDD  
    • Rightallalong
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:59am

      Wow, the Blaze boys show this as some breaking news and have the gall to mock and make fun of other Liberty minded radio hosts as conspiracy theorist? Well at least the other shows are not afraid of a thunderstorm?

      This is a thunderstorm you BLAZE morons…

      I am beginning to think Glenn and his boys need to leave Texas where we have such ”uuuuhhhh scary mushroom cloud thunderstorms” all the time….

      Maybe time for you yankees to go back to NY …

      Report this comment

      Rightallalong  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:20pm

      @Frodo:

      Could this cloud be the same kind that hangs over the White House these days? Obama keeps fuming and steaming in anger and insanity that the heat and smoke are forming their own climate zone? Or it could be from the magic cigars he still smokes?

      Report this comment

      Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • beefrank
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:03pm

      I remember those Saturdays growing up just north of San Francisco. Saturday was Burn Day and we burned all the yard refuse and anything else that was burnable. The ashes were used as compost for the landscape. It was a good childhood lesson on controlling fire. The smoke in the China fire looks like another major industrial accident.

      Report this comment

      beefrank  
    • Apple Bite
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:13pm

      Rightallalong
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:59am

      Wow, the Blaze boys show this as some breaking news and have the gall to mock and make fun of other Liberty minded radio hosts as conspiracy theorist? Well at least the other shows are not afraid of a thunderstorm?

      This is a thunderstorm you BLAZE morons…

      I am beginning to think Glenn and his boys need to leave Texas where we have such ”uuuuhhhh scary mushroom cloud thunderstorms” all the time….

      Maybe time for you yankees to go back to NY …

      Since when did Thunderstorms raise from the ground up?
      OMG, Like stop while you’re ahead, you’re giving us a migraine…

      Report this comment

      Apple Bite  
    • lukerw
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:16pm

      Joe Btfsplk is in town!

      Report this comment

      lukerw  
    • mils
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 1:36pm

      a view of chinese streets a few days ago showed terrible yellow haze everywhere.

      Report this comment

      mils  
    • dan28301
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:04pm

      I don’t know, depends on what you put on the brush pile. I put gas on a BIG pile of leaves in the yard once when I was young, waited about 20 min to light it thinking the gas had dissipated but the vapors got trapped in the air pockets in the pile. Threw a match and BOOM, results where a 20 ft tall mushroom cloud with shock wave that rattled the windows in the area, big 6 ft diameter burn spot on the lawn with the leave vaporized. Boy was my Dad pi$$ed.

      Report this comment

      dan28301  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:15pm

      If this happened in Japan it would be easier to explain.

      Mushroomadon vs Godzilla.

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
    • regina4u
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:20pm

      mushroom cloud with lightning

      Report this comment

      regina4u  
    • Dr Vel
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:35pm

      Just a simple super-cell formation. Blaze between your headlines and all the bloated popups, ads, and new windows opening one can only surmise you are being taken over by whack-jobs from MSLSD.

      Report this comment

      Dr Vel  
    • hwyllie
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:36pm

      it’s amazing how APPLE BITE and RIGHTALLALONG have identical comments… must be really like minded people huh? or maybe just A.J. posting numerous times… lol

      Report this comment

      hwyllie  
    • Hugh Akston II
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:42pm

      Its Thor.

      Report this comment

      Hugh Akston II  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:52pm

      @Dr Vel

      Use Mozilla Firefox and install Ghostery for Firefox. (Ghostery doesn’t fully work in Internet Explorer).

      Set the Ghostery bubble from 15 seconds to 0 or 1 second in options and make sure blocking is enabled.

      All the pop-ups will go away.

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:57pm

      @Dr Vel

      Also, to refresh a page faster (to see your post), under “comments” change the “Order by” from “Newest to Oldest” to “Oldest to Newest” and then back again. : )

      Report this comment

      The-Monk  
    • Tuhme21
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 3:04pm

      Hey Rightallalong, FYI The Blaze is headquartered in New York, not Texas. And Glenn is not the editor nor does he oversee any of these stories. Nice try though.

      Report this comment

      Tuhme21  
    • Rightallalong
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:23pm

      @Apple BITE

      Report this comment

      Rightallalong  
    • Hollywood
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 4:32pm

      They probably consulted with their new Currency partner Japan, re Public announcements: Move along folks, nothing to see. Fukushima-What problem! Containment pools breaking down, Tuna with Radioactive readings on North America west coast, NO PROBLEM! Contigency plans to move 40 million Japanese to the Kuril Islands, or China GHOST cities- Just an exercise! No problem, move along folks! Nothing to see here!

      Report this comment

      Hollywood  
    • XIIHICKSIIX
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:09pm

      @ Dr Vel

      You should try less porn. No pop-ups or ad’s really on mine, but I’ve had them on EVERY page I’ve went to before, and know what its from. Don’t blame an awesome website for your crappy machine.

      Report this comment

      XIIHICKSIIX  
    • maynardb61
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:11pm

      I have lived in the Houston area for decades, and never seen a mushroom cloud over the city!!

      Report this comment

      maynardb61  
    • ICanComment
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 5:45pm

      Obviously some people here know EVERYTHING and have far superior intellect because obviously there aren’t any intelligent, conservative people in the north. GOSH! (Napoleon Dynamite inflection)

      C’mon, guys. Don’t be mean. If you think you know what it is, just say, “Looks like a thunderstorm to me.” There’s no reason to freak out and say, “HOLY CRAP YOU’RE ALL IDIOTS! It’s clearly beyond all doubt a thunderstorm and anyone who thinks otherwise is a stupid moron from the north.”

      Lighten up. It’s an article on the Internet. There are far better things to bicker and troll about.

      Report this comment

      ICanComment  
    • WAKEUPUSA2012
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 7:37pm

      There is no such thing as Geoengineering. Go back to watching fox news and following glenn becks plans. Be a total fool as the world crumbles around you. HARP is not real. Chem trails are FAKE

      LOL NOT.

      http://www.infowars.com/geo-engineering-the-backstep-bs-disinfo-dance/

      Report this comment

      WAKEUPUSA2012  
    • Ramrod64
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:34pm

      maybe a walmart goods factory blew up or something?

      Report this comment

      Ramrod64  
    • Nyle
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:04pm

      Communists will kill us all in pursuit of their claimed Utopia on Earth. Looks like weather control experiments to me. Imagine if you could place a drought over your enemies.

      Report this comment

      Nyle  
    • GdHUs
      Posted on June 19, 2012 at 12:08am

      @ TEXASCHIRS said:You see these over big cities. I’ve seen it in the summer over Houston, Tx.

      Naw, that was just BBQ smoke on a typical Houston summer day.

      Report this comment

      GdHUs  
    • just happy
      Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:23am

      I did google -venticular clouds-only to find out that they are Lenticular clouds, and that while similar in shape and size, they are GREATLY different in what I call texture. the “china” clouds look like good old fashioned New England summer time Thunder Heads. the lenticular from Washington has a smooth, Swirled look on its surface. not at all like Thunder heads or the above pictures.

      Report this comment

      just happy  
    • dmerwin
      Posted on June 19, 2012 at 8:37pm

      We could only hope. China solves it’s population problem and has reason to fix some internal issues.

      Report this comment

      dmerwin  
    • mike1127
      Posted on June 28, 2012 at 8:41pm

      LETUSREASON: It sure looks like lightning to me.

      Report this comment

      mike1127  
  • Snaker
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:44am

    Hey LIZ;
    I know YOU are just reporting what the Chinese were reporting, but hey, what “mushrooms” have
    you been smokin’ lately? Hardly a mushroom cloud, Liz…. Looks more like a severe thunderstorm.
    Burning straw?
    Leave it the Chinese to “pull your chain,” though.

    Report this comment

    Snaker  
  • ProbIemSoIver
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:34am

    This is simply the result of a High frequency active auroral “research” project (HAARP) test.

    When you use Tesla-discovered ELF microwaves to heat up the ionisphere to over 100 degrees
    Fahrenheit, the moisture can no longer rise.

    You can also surround an area with dry air to keep a pocket of moisture stationary.

    You can destroy a country by drought, or create a stagnant thunderstorm, that works 24/7.

    This 3 minute history channel clip explains how 100% weather modification is upon mankind.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgynYoVnkvM

    Report this comment

    ProbIemSoIver  
  • Magyar
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:30am

    EVERYTHING in China is man made!

    Report this comment

    Magyar  
  • lqtm
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:29am

    OH MY GOSH THOSE CHINESE BLEW UP A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WITH AN A-BOMB YOU SEE THEY REALLY DON’T CARE ABOUT THEIR PEOPLE THERE THEY JUST TEST NUCULAR BOMBS ON PEOPLE AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT THEY ARREST THEM SEE THIS IS WHERE AMERICA WILL BE SOON WHEN THE MUSLIMS TAKE OVER WITH SHARIA AND THE MOSQUES ALL LAUNCH THEIR MISSILES AT US no you people are stupid and this is exactly what I have come to expect from Beck at this point- BS.

    Report this comment

    lqtm  
    • libertyandresponsibility
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:09am

      Yet you still come to his website and attack his readers. sounds like you’re the one with a problem.

      Report this comment

      libertyandresponsibility  
    • Gamaliel
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:28am

      Living under communism is soooo cool. It’s especially wonderful when your birth control fails and they fix it for you. I wonder why you’re still hanging around this hell hole?

      Report this comment

      Gamaliel  
    • RedDirtTexas
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:49am

      And don’t forget that Bush piloted one of the 9-11 planes that brought down the WTC. Bailed in the nick of time. You libs love conspiracy theories when it suits you. “Arrested for spreading rumors”! Coming to a city near you!

      Report this comment

      RedDirtTexas  
  • moreteaplease
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:29am

    Reminds me of the cloud I have imagined Christ returning on.

    Report this comment

    moreteaplease  
  • CrismaFire
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:25am

    All the Chinese in one city broke the worlds record in a fartathon. The entire city ate beans all night and spent all morning farting, cause this unique cloud.

    Report this comment

    CrismaFire  
  • ShyMan
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:25am

    An abortion cloud.

    That town must have had too many baby girls.

    Report this comment

    ShyMan  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:22am

    …
    It’s a storm cloud. In the video, you can see the lightning.

    Report this comment

    LeadNotFollow  
  • amyb73
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 10:01am

    Haven’t you people ever seen a supercell thunderstorm??

    Report this comment

    amyb73  
    • single stack
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:28am

      Bingo. It’s a large, powerful thunderstorm.
      This is a lot of drama over what is a common phenomenon where I live.

      Report this comment

      single stack  
    • guntotinsquaw
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 11:58am

      I’m with you, it’s a super cell thunderstorm. I live in the mountains smack dab in the middle of tornado alley. We see these all the time as the storm is rising from the flats to the mountains. There are mountains in the video, clear as day. Half the people on this board would crap their pants if they saw these storms coming in, we just watch the beauty of nature. And take lots of pictures ;)

      Report this comment

      guntotinsquaw  
    • PaxInVeritate
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:11pm

      Yes, I have. This is a supercell T-storm and nothing more. Awesome. Besides, a nuke “mushroom cloud” is called that because it looks like one. This has no resemblance to any nuke cloud I’ve seen in vids or pics. Just type in a search engine “Bikini Atoll Nuclear Testing” an click on images. None look like what was over China. The only thing like could be said to look similar is the Formosa Plastics Propylene Explosion in Oct. 6, ’05 (http://www.csb.gov/investigations/detail.aspx?SID=26), and not being a chemist, I don’t know if a chemical cloud would have a the properties to have a conductive reaction with the atmosphere.

      Report this comment

      PaxInVeritate  
    • wzanesdad
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:37pm

      agree….we see these kinds of storms all the time during the monsoon season in Arizona. I don’t understand why the chinese would say anything different.

      Report this comment

      wzanesdad  
    • wzanesdad
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:47pm

      example….time lapse of az thunderstorms
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3-3B5ATsKIY

      Report this comment

      wzanesdad  
    • wzanesdad
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 12:51pm

      example
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3-3B5ATsKIY

      Report this comment

      wzanesdad  
    • Copo
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:07pm

      Exactly what I was thinking. It looks a bit taller than most that I’ve seen, but there is no doubt that it is a supercell. Some of the people on here freak out over the most stupid things.

      Report this comment

      Copo  
    • single stack
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 2:24pm

      “Some of the people on here freak out over the most stupid things.”

      Some of the people here are fans of Alex Jones/PrisonPlanet/Infowars. In other words, brain dead retards with a terminal case of stoopid.

      Report this comment

      single stack  
  • SageInWaiting
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:51am

    Hey, when you have a population of 1.3 billion, what are a couple hundred thousand?

    Report this comment

    SageInWaiting  
  • sndrman
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:50am

    wish china had an b(owing) hussain o….because he would tell the world what it was/is oh well 1 fool in the world is enough for giving away secrets

    Report this comment

    sndrman  
  • Bryan B
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:29am

    Well what does the United States Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) have to say about this ? Because they have ways of measuring radioactive isotopes in the atomsphere, and could tell if China was doing any Nuke testing…….

    Report this comment

    Bryan B  
  • reveared paul
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:23am

    Flatulence caused by a Billion Chinese after digesting that delicious Chinese Food caused it.

    Report this comment

    reveared paul  
  • RepubliCorp
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:23am

    They were copying Obama’s Chevy Volt and it blew-up. Success!

    Report this comment

    RepubliCorp  
  • conservativemom99
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:21am

    Why exactly was this set to music? Strange.

    Report this comment

    conservativemom99  
  • Old_Warrior
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:21am

    So this is what happens when a billion plus people all fart at the same time…

    Sorry folks. Expect the truth from Chinese officials only if you can pick up your house and throw it. Which is of course, impossible on both accounts…

    Report this comment

    Old_Warrior  
    • Nasado
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:51am

      What if your superman?

      Report this comment

      Nasado  
    • Old_Warrior
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 7:48pm

      @ Nasado – Superman is a work for fiction. The cloud over China and their government’s inability to tell the truth is not.

      Report this comment

      Old_Warrior  
  • MRMANN
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:10am

    A natural formation of clouds related to thunderstorming? How come I’ve never seen that? I live on relatively flat farm country where the skies are almost always wide open. Yes, I’ve seen tornados, but never a monstrosity like this. It looks very menacing & sinister.

    Report this comment

    MRMANN  
    • boomboom
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:34am

      @MrMann : “menacing and sinister”, huh?
      Sounds like the ChiComm Gov’t.

      Report this comment

      boomboom  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:58am

      mrmann I too have a farm in flat nothing of land and have never seen a cloud like this

      Report this comment

      HorseCrazy  
  • brntout
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:02am

    Boom..clap..boom boom clap.. Well the tune was catchy.Maybe through in some rads.

    Report this comment

    brntout  
  • expatinontariocanada
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:53am

    Google HAARP. High frequency radio waves used for all kinds of things. And these types of weird cloud formations are not unique to China. Check these out from along the Michigan – Ontario border…
    http://beforeitsnews.com/story/2241/679/HAARP_Storms_Slam_Canada.html

    Report this comment

    expatinontariocanada  
  • copatriots
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:47am

    What the…………???? Is this China’s newest way of reducing their population?

    “Isn’t China great?” Joe Biden

    Report this comment

     
  • barber2
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:39am

    So two were ” arrested for spreading rumors?” Guess Big Brother governments get to define ” rumors.” Wonder if they also define ” sugar drink sizes ?” Hurry November !

    Report this comment

    barber2  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:38am

    “Oops!”

    Report this comment

    kickagrandma  
  • MeMadMax
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:36am

    Natural.
    Basically, the whole world has nuclear explosion detectors now, and it would be on the news by now if it was a nuke…

    Report this comment

    MeMadMax  
  • randy
    Posted on June 18, 2012 at 8:31am

    Too bad it wasn’t over Mecca.

    Report this comment

    randy  
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