In Hong Kong, a record-breaking downpour of more than 6 inches of rain occurred within a single hour, leading to widespread flooding of roads and transit stations.
Late on Thursday night, the government issued a severe rain warning, prompting the closure of schools and offices the next day, as well as causing disruptions to bus and ferry services. The heavy rain was attributed to the lingering effects of Typhoon Haikui, as reported by the government’s weather service. This marked the second tropical cyclone to impact southern China within the past week. The previous week, Hong Kong experienced the effects of Super Typhoon Saola, although it caused comparatively less damage to the city.
Within the subsequent 12 hours, the Hong Kong Observatory’s headquarters in the Kowloon district registered an astonishing 16 inches of rainfall. Hong Kong, like many parts of this densely populated Chinese territory, primarily consists of flat, reclaimed land near the sea. The mountainous, densely forested slopes of Hong Kong intensify the consequences of heavy rainfall. This leads to rapid overwhelming of rivers and drains, posing a significant risk of deadly landslides and mudslides. The majority of the rainfall was concentrated in a central area, with Hong Kong Island bearing the brunt of the downpour.
On Friday morning, the typically lively streets of the city were eerily quiet, scattered with remnants of the previous night’s flooding. However, as early afternoon approached, the streets began to fill up once again, and shops were slowly reopening. Hong Kong continued to be under a “black” rainstorm warning on Friday afternoon, indicating the anticipation of further rainfall.
The inundated streets and the metro system submerged in water in Asia’s financial epicenter led to the suspension of trading on Hong Kong’s stock exchange for the second time in a week.
(Source: The Weather Channel | Frances Yoon | WSJ)
