The highest black rainstorm warning signal was replaced by the amber warning signal at 5:05 pm on Tuesday, as the areas of thundery showers affecting Hong Kong were departing gradually.
The Hong Kong Observatory said in its latest special weather tips that the amber rainstorm warning signal was expected to remain in force in the next couple of hours. Meanwhile, the landslip warning was still in effect.
Under the influence of the southwesterly airstream, there will still be showers locally on Wednesday morning and showers will be heavy at times at first, said the observatory.
Most areas of the city logged rainfall of over 100 millimeters between midnight and 1:45 pm, according to the observatory, with Central and Western District, Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon Peninsula, and Tai Po exceeding 300 mm.
After a downpour hit the city on Monday evening, the observatory issued the black rainstorm alert at 11:45 pm. The warning was downgraded to a red alert 2:10 am on Tuesday and to an amber warning at 3:00 am.
Later at 5:20 am, the red rainstorm signal was re-issued and subsequently upgraded to the black warning again at 5:50 am — the second time within six hours.
ALSO READ: HK cancels all alerts after year’s second black rainstorm warning
The observatory said early on Tuesday that areas of intense thundery showers associated with active southwest monsoon and upper-air disturbances affected Hong Kong and the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary.
Flooding across the city
Schools, public clinics, post offices, banks and some MTR exits are closed, and some cars were trapped by the floods.
The Airport Authority said the airport was operating normally on Tuesday morning, but as of 10:30 am, over 100 flights had been delayed amid unstable weather, and two were cancelled.
The Education Bureau announced on Tuesday morning the suspension of all day schools, including classes at morning schools, whole-day schools and afternoon schools.
Public out-patient clinics, geriatric and psychiatric day hospitals, and postal services across the city are suspended due to the severe weather. The Home Affairs has opened temporary shelters to assist residents in need.
The Hong Kong Association of Banks said all banks in the city will be closed for the day.
According to the Drainage Service Department, as of 8 am, 18 flooding cases had been recorded, of which 11 have been dealt with. The department has deployed an additional 180 emergency response teams to clear 240 sites susceptible to flooding due to silting.
Severe flooding hit some parts of Queen Mary Hospital on Tuesday morning, disrupting emergency services. The Hospital Authority transferred some emergency patients to Ruttonjee Hospital for treatment.
The flooded areas were cleared at noon, with the accident and emergency room service and ambulance transfer arrangements having resumed as normal, according to the hospital.
Several locations in Tseung Kwan O suffered flooding, too, and the Drainage Services Department deployed robot pumps to cope with the emergency.
More than 20 vehicles were caught up in a flooded parking lot at King Yin Lane, some of which were submerged to a depth of half their height.
About half an hour before the black rainstorm signal was issued, the engines in a bus and a minibus cut out in Tseung Kwan O, leaving the two drivers and dozens of passengers stranded in water two feet (0.61 meter) deep. Firefighters performed rescue operations.
Photos circulating online showed some vehicles trapped by floods in Tseun Wan at around 5 am. Several drivers were evacuated by firefighters.
READ MORE: Afternoon classes scrapped as red rainstorm signal goes up in HK
According to MTR Corporation, the exit A2 of Sham Shui Po station, the exit A1 of Choi Hung station, the exit A3 of Wan Chai station and the exit B3 of Wong Tai Sin station have been temporarily closed due to the severe weather.
Due to serious flooding or landslides, Kowloon Motor Bus announced it would pause its service for the routes of 91, 91M, 92 between Diamond Hill Station, and Clear Water Bay, Po Lam, and Sai Kung, respectively, and its route 94, which operates between Sai Kung and Wong Shek Pier, as well as the KMB Tour HK and HK1.
The Transport Department announced that services would be suspended at the Driving Test Centres, the Written Test Centre, the Driving Test Appointment Office, the Government Vehicle Examination Centres, the Licensing Offices, the Public Vehicles Unit, the Driving-offence Points Office, the Vehicle Inspection and Records Unit and the Cross Boundary Unit.
Chinese mainland traveler Judy Li, who took a ferry with a few other passengers to Hong Kong, arrived in the city around noon, as planned. She told China Daily that, overall, the journey was relatively smooth apart from a short period of turbulence on the way.
Initially intending to explore Victoria Harbour and indulge in shopping, she found many malls shuttered due to the black rainstorm alert. She said she would rest for a while and monitor the weather conditions online and adjust her travel plans accordingly.
With the southwest monsoon moderating, showers will ease off gradually in the latter part of this week and it will be fine and very hot, according to the observatory.
Hong Kong suffered significant rainfall in July, and the monthly rainfall reached 601.7 mm, about 56 percent above the norm of 385.8 mm, the observatory noted.
READ MORE: A rainy, warmer than usual July for Hong Kong
During July, eight tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific.
