HONG KONG - Hong Kong took a weather roller-coaster ride on Saturday, with forecasters warning of a possible black rainstorm alert, but they eventually lowered their red warning to amber within hours as thunderstorms and flooding left hikers stranded, schools suspended, traffic disrupted and businesses closed.
Areas in the eastern part of Hong Kong — such as Sai Kung, Tseung Kwan O and Kwun Tong — suffered the most. Authorities set up nine shelters across the city and deployed 12 care teams to mitigate the effects of the rainstorm.
The Observatory downgraded its rainstorm warning from red to amber at 3.50pm, after it earlier said the highest black rainstorm warning might be issued because of intense thunderstorms.
It added the rain showed signs of easing, but downpours would still be heavy at times over the city.
A black rainstorm warning means very heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall, exceeding 70mm in an hour, and is likely to continue.
The city last issued a black rainstorm warning on Oct 9, 2023, with the signal only withdrawn 6½ hours later.
The Transport Department was forced to close seven roads in Sai Kung district and part of the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel at one stage on Saturday.
The Observatory issued the first red rainstorm warning of the year at 8.55am, upgrading an amber signal sent out at 7.40am as Tseung Kwan O and Clear Water Bay in Sai Kung district recorded more than 140mm of rainfall in the interval.
With the intense thundery rainfall over the Pearl River Delta gradually moving eastward, the Observatory said at 11.36am that a black warning could be issued.
In the same district, hundreds of private vehicles were left submerged in water after a large public car park near Lohas Park flooded. Some motorists at the scene were forced to hire tow trucks to retrieve their vehicles.
Students from the Hong Kong Science and Technology University wrote on social media in the morning that they were having trouble getting to campus as some trunk roads were closed.
Flooding also hit restaurants and stores at some shopping malls in Tseung Kwan O, with the water reaching several of the venues’ connecting bridges and causing some outlets to close temporarily.
Police said that at one point 15 hikers were trapped along trails in Sai Kung. Officers located four of them on section two of the MacLehose Trail after heavy rain forced the group to call off their trek at 11.25am. None of them were injured.
Another hiking group of four adults and seven children, aged eight to 11, also reported becoming trapped along the High Island Reservoir East Dam at 11.26am. They were forced to shelter in a public toilet until police arrived.
The group survived the incident unhurt.