Hong Kong’s Observatory has raised the amber rain signal for the third time in 24 hours, with all schools cancelled for Friday.
The amber rain signal is raised when there is rainfall exceeding 50 millimetres falling, or expected to fall, in an hour. The thunderstorm and monsoon signals were also in force during lunchtime on Thursday.
The Education Bureau announced on Thursday that all classes at afternoon schools would be suspended for the rest of the day, though whole-day schools would continue.
The steering committee on handling extreme weather, chaired by Chief Secretary Eric Chan, also declared that all day schools would be suspended on Friday.
“Due to the rainstorm and thunderstorm associated with the tropical depression Danas, the weather conditions are expected to remain bad tomorrow,” the government said in a press release.
Primary, secondary, special schools, kindergartens and childcare centres will be closed, whilst Friday’s secondary school admission day events will be postponed to next Monday.
The Observatory said that flash floods, flooding and road congestion could occur during the coming hours on Thursday.
“The remnant of Danas is now moving southwestwards across eastern Guangdong. It may then skirt the vicinity of Dongguan to Huizhou. The active southwest monsoon to its south will generally affect the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary today and tomorrow,” it said.
“There will be torrential rain and squally thunderstorms over the region. Under the combined effect of the torrential rain and the southwest monsoon, the weather will be relatively severe.”
Heavy rain signals
The amber signal was hoisted late on Wednesday, before being replaced by the red signal just after midnight. Warnings were cancelled at 1.40am on Thursday, though an amber and red signal were raised again on Thursday morning. Both were cancelled, only for the amber signal to be raised once more at 12.40pm.
Danas has lashed China in recent days, with torrential monsoonal rain causing deadly landslides and flash floods. Meanwhile, since last week, a subtropical high-pressure system has been causing power grid faults and droughts.
According to Reuters, meteorologists have linked extreme weather in China to climate change, with ageing flood defences and infrastructure gaps compounding the threat to people and property.
The weather in Hong Kong is predicted to remain hot and unsettled over the coming week, according to the Observatory.
“Under the influence of an active southwest monsoon, there will be heavy showers and squally thunderstorms over the coast of southern China and the northern part of the South China Sea in the next couple of days,” it said.
