Hong Kong: Torrential rain has descended on Hong Kong leading to widespread flooding across the densely packed city, submerging streets, shopping malls and metro stations, forcing authorities to shut schools and asked workers to stay at home.
Overnight into Friday, the Chinese special administrative region received the highest hourly rainfall since records began 140 years ago. Cascades of water tumbled down the city’s mountainous terrain and residents were warned of landslide risk.
Streets turned into torrents, videos circulating on social media showed, while one clip showed metro workers wading waist deep in a station as they tried to stem the water gushing down from road level.
A pedestrian negotiates floodwaters in Hong Kong, China, on Friday.Credit: Bloomberg
The cross harbour tunnel, one of main arteries connecting Hong Kong island to Kowloon, was also inundated, while photos showed a waterlogged shopping centre in the Chai Wan district.
Hong Kong Observatory reported rainfall of 15.8 centimetres in just one hour overnight into Friday.
The weather bureau issued the highest “black” rainstorm warning and said more than 20 centimetres of rainfall was recorded on Hong Kong’s main island, Kowloon and the north-eastern part of the city’s New Territories since Thursday night.
The entrance to a shopping centre in Hong Kong after record rains on Friday.Credit: Bloomberg
The trough of low pressure associated with the remnant of typhoon Haikui has brought torrential rain to the coast of China’s Guangdong since Thursday, the weather bureau said.
Extreme conditions were expected to last until at least noon on Friday.