Hongkong Battered With Torrential Rains In 140 Years Forcing School Shutdowns, Flooded Streets

(Photo : Getty Images/Peter Parks)

Torrential rains paralyzed Hongkong with massive inundation, prompting the shutdown of schools and imposition of work from home setups.

According to the Hongkong Observatory, the heavy rains was brought by the trough of low pressure that was associated with the remnant of Haikui.

Trough of low pressure

Weather experts said that a trough of low pressure continues to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to the Pearl River Estuary.

They said that more than 600 millimeters of rainfall were recorded at the Observatory in the past 24 hours until 4 p.m., noting that the rainfall had even exceeded 800 millimeters over the Eastern District and Southern District of Hong Kong Island.

Further, the Hongkong Observatory also issued the highest "black" rainstorm warning, noting that more than 200 millimeters of rainfall have been recorded in the main island, Kowloon, as well as in the northeastern part of the New Territories.

Meteorologists forecasted that cloudy with showers and squally thunderstorms would still persist, with showers being heavy at times.

Showers are brief precipitation that usually come from convective clouds. These are characterized by the sudden start and end of the precipitation as well as the fine weather before and after its occurrence.

Meanwhile, the temperatures will range between 25 and 29 degrees and there will be moderate east to southeasterly winds.

Weather experts advised the public to take extra precautions as there will still be heavy showers and thunderstorms on Sunday. Usually, a thunderstorm is accompanied by lightning and a rumbling sound of thunder as well as strong gusts and occasional heavy rain.

Under suitable weather conditions, the public could also experience some hails.

They said that these showers would ease off gradually, with the weather expected to improve slightly early next week.

Meanwhile, due to the influence of a trough of low pressure, there will be occasional heavy showers and thunderstorms over the coast of Guangdong in the next couple of days.

A broad trough of low pressure is expected to bring unsettled weather to the coastal areas in the latter part of next week. Besides, Tropical Cyclone Yun-yeung is also forecasted to move across Honshu of Japan.

Effects of heavy rains

Hongkong had experienced the highest hourly rainfall since records started 140 years ago, and this amount of rainfall of water went down its mountainous terrain.

Because of the threat of floods, authorities were forced to issue landslide risk warnings to ensure the safety of residents.

So far, authorities said that at least 119 individuals have been reported injured from the heavy rains.

The weather condition also prompted authorities to shutdown schools as they also advised workers to stay at home. This as streets, shopping malls and metro stations were submerged in deep floods.

Meanwhile, the city's cross-harbour tunnel, which is a key link between Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, was also flooded with water. This prompted landslide warnings to be raised in some areas.

Due to the bad weather, authorities advised residents who are living in near rivers to remain vigilant and alert to weather conditions.

The residents should also be ready for possible evacuations.

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