Hong Kong has been hit with record-breaking rains that have seen schools and courts shuttered, hospitals disrupted, and roads badly flooded.
More than 350mm (13.8 inches) of rain had drenched the territory by 2pm (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the city’s weather authorities said – the highest daily rainfall for August since 1884.
The storms follow deadly flash floods in Southern China over the weekend, which left five dead in Guangdong province and prompted a large-scale search operation involving more than 1,300 rescuers.
Videos showed water cascading down steep hillsides, breaking into whitewater streams as they rushed down the many staircases linking Hong Kong’s multitiered cityscape.
Weather authorities extended their highest “black” rainstorm warning until 5pm local time (09:00 GMT).
This was the fourth such warning issued in just eight days, breaking the record for the most frequent issuance of the city’s highest weather alert within a single year, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
The water had risen to ankle height outside Hong Kong’s largest hospital, as medical authorities announced they would be closing clinics across the city due to the downpour. Meanwhile, cars were reported submerged in water.
The weather service warned on Tuesday afternoon that a “persistent rainstorm will cause serious road flooding and traffic congestion”.
Credit: aljazeera.com
