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Streets and subway stations in Hong Kong were flooded, forcing authorities to close schools and workplaces. Emergency services said more than 100 people were taken to hospital, several rescue operations were carried out and a severe weather warning was issued. The rain turned the streets into raging rivers, flooding shopping malls and public transport. People were seen on social media climbing onto cars and other elevated platforms to escape the water, which rose several meters in some places and blocked subway entrances. The authorities have issued a black alert due to rainfall exceeding 70 mm per hour. Later that night, the Hong Kong Observatory reported an hourly rainfall of 158.1 millimeters, the highest since records began in 1884. The city's port tunnel, a key route connecting the main island to the Kowloon peninsula in the north, was flooded. The rain also triggered landslides in Hong Kong's mountainous areas, blocking some highways. During the afternoon, the showers subsided, and authorities downgraded the storm from a “black“ warning to a “yellow“ one. But they warned that the downpours will last for several days. More than 200 mm of rain fell on Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the northeastern part of the city between 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) and midnight. This amount is more than the amount that the entire city usually accounts for during certain periods. Heavy rain also flooded southern China, with the city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, reporting its heaviest downpour since records began in 1952. Hundreds of flights were grounded in the vast province of Guangdong, and local authorities advised low-lying residents to consider evacuating. Tens of millions of people live in the densely populated coastal regions of southern China. In the evening, Shenzhen released water from its reservoirs after notifying Hong Kong. The action prompted questions from local Hong Kong residents online about whether the flooding had worsened their city. But Hong Kong's security chief Chris Tan said the release had no effect on flooding in the city and the action was safe for both Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The China Meteorological Administration expects heavy rains to continue in the southwestern region of the country for several days in a row. The latest downpour comes less than a week after two typhoons, Saola and Haikui, made rapid landfall in southern China and brought the entire city of Hong Kong to a standstill. Climate change has increased the intensity and frequency of tropical storms, leading to more flash floods and damage.
