Widespread flooding has hit the city as the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) issued the black rainstorm warning on Tuesday – the first time the highest rainstorm signal was hoisted four times in a week.
The black rainstorm warning came into force at 05.50am on Tuesday. It is expected to remain in place at least until 3pm.
The black rainstorm warning “means that heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 70 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue,” the HKO said in a statement early Tuesday morning.
The Observatory said that the northern New Territories was particularly hit hard by the rain, especially in Pat Heung, Kam Tin, and Sheung Shui.
It also warned that persistent rainstorms would cause serious road flooding and traffic congestion, and advised residents to take shelter in a safe place.
With the landslip warning issued, members of the public were told to steer clear of steep slopes and retaining walls. Motorists should avoid driving in hilly areas or on roads with landslip warning signs.
Widespread flooding
Videos and photos circulated online showed widespread flooding across the city. On the west of Hong Kong Island, muddy water erupted from multiple locations at a construction site on the hillside above Victoria Road.
Severe flooding hit the roads around Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam. Online footage showed that water barricades were washed away by floodwaters and the entrance to the hospital’s main block was inundated.
The Hospital Authority announced that emergency services at Queen Mary Hospital were affected by severe flooding. Some patients had to be temporarily diverted by ambulance to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai.
In an outdoor metered car park in Po Lam, the water level rose to cover the tyres of around 20 cars in the early hours of Tuesday. Local media reported that the Drainage Department staff deployed a robot to help drain the muddy water at the scene.
A video showed a man walking barefoot outside the MTR station in Quarry Bay as the roads were covered in water.
The MTR closed multiple exits temporarily on Tuesday due to flooding or adverse weather. The exits affected were Kwun Tong Exit H, Sham Shui Po Exit A2, Choi Hung Exit A1, Wong Tai Sin Exit B3, Wan Chai Exit A3, and Quarry Bay Exit A.
Tuesday marked the fourth time the black rainstorm warning had been hoisted since the city issued this year’s first signal last Tuesday. The HKO issued the black rainstorm warning for the second time on Saturday and the third time on Monday at 11.45pm, before lowering it to red at 02.10am on Tuesday.
