Life in Hong Kong gradually returned to normal late on Tuesday after a torrential downpour broke multiple records, forcing the closure of schools, outpatient clinics, banks, and some MTR exits. Relief efforts and coping measures continued into the night, with authorities urging the public to remain vigilant amid ongoing erratic weather conditions.
The Hong Kong Observatory canceled all rainstorm signals at 6:15 pm, an hour after downgrading the black rainstorm warning — the highest level — which had been in effect for 11 hours and 15 minutes. It was the second-longest duration in the signal’s history.
The latest black rainstorm signal is the fourth issued within eight days — the most ever recorded in a single year — as the city has experienced extended unstable weather since late July. A black rainstorm warning was issued on Monday evening, downgraded in the following hours, only for heavy rains to return on Tuesday morning, causing another black rainstorm warning at 5:50 am.
As of 5 pm, the citywide daily rainfall had reached 358.8 millimeters, the highest single-day total for August since records began in 1884.
Cleanup operations were extensive. By 5 pm, about 620 workers and several pumping robots from the Drainage Services Department had cleared all 29 flood sites across the city. One flooding incident occurred at Queen Mary Hospital, where water entered the main building and emergency department, affecting emergency services for four hours and requiring patients to be temporarily transferred to Ruttonjee Hospital. Firefighters evacuated six people at two other flooding sites.
By late afternoon, the authorities had responded to 42 cases of people who were trapped in elevators, 175 automatic fire alarms, 36 reports of fallen trees, and seven landslides. No fatalities have been directly linked to the heavy rain.
Hong Kong International Airport largely maintained operations, with two flights — destined for Nadi in Fiji, and Hualien in Taiwan — canceled, and over 100 flights delayed in the morning.
All day schools were suspended, and public services — including outpatient clinics, geriatric and psychiatric day hospitals, Driving Test Centres, Licensing Offices, post services and banks — were closed.
Tseung Kwan O in the southeastern New Territories reported several flooding incidents. More than 20 vehicles were partially submerged in a parking lot on King Yin Lane.
READ MORE: Record deluge swamps HK: Rainstorm alert downgraded to amber
Early in the morning, firefighters rescued two drivers and dozens of passengers stranded on a bus and a minibus in Tseung Kwan O, after both vehicles stalled in 60-centimeter-deep water.
Chinese mainland traveler Judy Li reached Hong Kong on a ferry carrying a few other passengers around noon. She told China Daily that her journey was relatively smooth, apart from some brief turbulence.
She had planned to explore Victoria Harbour and some shopping malls, but found many of the malls were shuttered. She opted instead to rest in an indoor area and monitor the weather conditions online.
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Phoebe Zhang, who works in the hotel industry, went to work on Tuesday morning as required. She told China Daily that the hotel she works at had continued to provide usual services during the rainstorm, although several guests attempted to cancel their bookings because of the weather.
August’s heavy rainfall follows an unusually wet July, when the monthly total reached 601.7 mm, 56 percent above the norm of 385.8 mm.
Wu Kunling and Stacy Shi contributed to this story.
Contact the writers at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com
