(HONG KONG) — Overnight rain in Hong Kong and southern China flooded city streets and some tube stations, forcing hundreds to flee and resulting in two deaths in Hong Kong.
During a joint news conference on Friday, authorities warned the intense weather was expected to linger until midnight, with extensive flooding and severe disruptions to public transit in various districts.
According to a Hong Kong Observatory official, the city has received almost 600mm of rain so far, accounting for one-quarter of the city’s typical annual rainfall. The Hong Kong Observatory reported 158.1 millimeters (6.2 inches) of rain between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. Thursday at midnight was the highest single-hour recording since records began in 1884.
According to authorities, two bodies were discovered floating in various regions of the city’s seas. According to the city’s fire department, 110 people were evacuated, and 20 were hurt.
Residents online have criticized the city’s response to the rain and flooding, questioning the authorities’ preparedness for such an emergency.
Two people were killed in Hong Kong due to heavy rain and flash floods that hit southern China.
Rainfall prediction, according to Hong Kong’s No. 2 official, “cannot be compared with that of a typhoon.” He stated that many departments have been working around the clock to address the situation.
Social media videos show flooded streets in Hong Kong and neighboring Guangdong province, with vehicles driving through the water and rescue crews navigating the streets on rafts.
Water raced down the stairs and escalators of a flooded metro station, and cars became entangled in muddy water on flooded streets, including the cross-harbor tunnel that connects Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Heavy rains forced the closure of schools and the mainland city of Shenzhen, while nonessential workers were asked to remain home on Friday. Most bus services have been suspended.
The Hong Kong stock exchange was likewise closed on Friday.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, over 11,000 people were evacuated from water-logged areas in Meizhou, a city in Guangdong province, on the mainland. Trains and flights were halted in Guangdong, while multiple landslides obstructed roads, according to the report.
According to CCTV, Shenzhen received 469 millimeters (18.4 inches) of rain, the most since meteorological records began in 1952.
The Chinese capital has issued a flood disaster alert for numerous districts, with heavy rain expected until Saturday night.
The rain on Friday was caused by a trough of low pressure associated with the remains of a recent typhoon, according to the city observatory.
SOURCE – (AP)
